


Unwitting Pawns

by RedXEagl3



Category: Dangan Ronpa, Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Manipulation, Explicit Language, F/M, GUESS WHOS BACK, M/M, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-15
Updated: 2017-10-06
Packaged: 2018-09-15 22:04:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 30
Words: 89,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9259388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedXEagl3/pseuds/RedXEagl3
Summary: "We are all pawns in a game, really."Danganronpa with the addition of a 16th student to the original cast. What will change? More than you'd think.Major Spoilers for the entire first game.





	1. Awakening

**Author's Note:**

> Uh, hi.
> 
> Long story short, I felt like crap for the whole weekend, and that eventually led to me thinking this entire story was crap and that I should delete it. Luckily, I had all the chapters saved onto Microsoft Word, so when i eventually regained me senses, I just reposted it here.
> 
> Everything is the same except for chapter 8, which I rewrote completely because I felt like it was not very well written even by my standards, so, theres that.
> 
> Lastly, I'd like to apologize for removing this so suddenly only to post it back up again, I promise it wont happen again.
> 
> So, Chapter 10 will be out sometime next week, maybe? See you then.

Makoto Naegi awoke in a classroom. He groggily lifted his head from the desk he was sleeping on as he tried to remember what happened. He remembered entering Hope’s Peak. It had been 7:10 am at that time so he was early, and he decided he would explore the school, but then… what? He couldn’t remember what happened after that, and every time he tried his head would ache slightly. Maybe he passed out? It wasn’t out of the question, he didn’t get much sleep yesterday, and maybe he was more nervous than he thought. Maybe one of his classmates or a teacher saw him and brought him here? That would explain a lot, but if they did that, why didn’t they take him to the infirmary or the nurse’s office?

Makoto slowly rose from the desk and scanned the room. The thing that stood out the most were the giant metal plates covering the windows. Massive bolts held them in place and when Makoto knocked on them they let out a solid ‘bang bang’, so they were pretty sturdy. That only raised more questions though, like why were there giant metal plates covering the windows?

Makoto looked back at the desk he was sleeping on, and saw a piece of paper. He picked it up, and unfolded it. It looked like some sort of pamphlet, but it was very crude. It’s almost like someone had handwritten it, complete with a pencil drawing colored in with crayon. The poor handwriting made it difficult to read, but he could make out what it said.

“Hey there, new kid! The next semester is about to start. Starting today, this school will be your entire world.”

“What the hell?” Makoto said aloud. “Is this someone’s idea of a joke?”

Makoto put the ‘pamphlet’ down. For some reason, it unnerved him just looking at it.

He looked around the classroom one more time, hoping to find a clock. He found it above what he assumed was the teacher’s desk. According to the clock, it was exactly 8:00 am. Which means he had been asleep for almost an hour. Maybe I did pass out after all, he thought. That seemed to be the most likely scenario. That would also mean that there would probably be more people in the main hall. His suspicions about the metal plates and strange ‘pamphlet’ would have to wait. Who knows, maybe somebody there could explain what this was all about?

Makoto walked towards the door, opened it, and walked out into the hallway. It was completely empty. He looked left and right, but saw nobody. He took a right from the classroom he just exited, and then took another right. He continued down ta small hallway, until he heard a voice mumbling behind a corner.

“ _Jesus, my fucking head…_ ”

Makoto couldn’t make out what the person was mumbling, even though he could hear them clearly. He walked around the corner where he heard the mumbling, and saw someone. A boy, around the same age as him, with short, warm black hair. His skin wasn't exactly pale, but it was clear that he didn't get much sun. He wore a black jacket with no hood, a blue undershirt, and dark grayish blue jeans. His shoes were unremarkable, just some solid black sneakers. He was holding his head in his hands, while leaning against a wall, so Makoto couldn't tell what color his eyes were.

Makoto stared at him for a few seconds, unsure of what to say, until the stranger looked up from his hands and stared straight into Makoto’s eyes. The boys eyes were a dark green color, and his pupils narrowed as he saw Makoto.

“ _What are you gawking at?_ ” the stranger called.

Makoto tilted his head in confusion. The boy was speaking, but he couldn’t understand a word he said. Was he speaking another language or something? The stranger looked at Makoto for another few seconds, which made Makoto feel uneasy. The stranger stood up straight. He was at least 5’10, towering over Makoto. The stranger spoke again, but this time Makoto could understand him.

“Who are you?” he asked. His voice sounded... strange. His pronunciation was perfect, but it just sounded off to Makoto for some reason. It was obvious that he wasn't a native japanese speaker, but he spoke it as if it was almost second nature.

“M-My name is Makoto Naegi, Ultimate Luck. Nice to meet you…?”

Makoto said the last part as if he was asking a question, which made him cringe on the inside.

The stranger continued to stare at Makoto, as if he was scanning every single part of him, until he finally spoke again.

“Jon Uragiri, Ultimate Linguist, Nice to meet you, too.”

Jon finally took his eyes off Makoto, and put his head in his hands again.

“Sorry for snapping at you, but it feels like I’ve been conked on the head with a sledgehammer.”

Makoto approached Jon carefully, but as casually as he could.

“What did you say, anyway?”

Jon looked up from his hands.

“I was speaking in English, I’m surprised you didn’t understand. It doesn’t matter anyway.”

“Wha…? Oh yeah, Ultimate Linguist. Huh.” 

Jon looked past Makoto, staring at where he came from a few moments before.

“By the way, where did you come from?” Jon asked.

Makoto looked behind him, then looked back at Jon.

“I came in through the front entrance, but then I kinda… passed out. I think. I woke up in one of the classrooms”

Jon paused for a moment, and then faced Makoto, a surprised look on his face.

“You too?”

“W-what?”

“I mean, the same thing happened to me, Makoto. I remember walking into the school, and then I just…” Jon paused, and then continued. “I just… woke up in one of these classrooms, with the _worst_ headache I’ve ever had, might I add.”

Jon placed his head in his palm briefly, then looked back up.

“Well, whatever’s going on, we should go to the entrance hall. Everyone was supposed to be there by 8 if I remember correctly. We’re probably running late.”

Jon walked towards the door which led to the entrance hall. Makoto sped walk to catch up with him. Jon opened the door to the entrance hall, and walked in. Makoto went in after him.

14 pairs of eyes met Makoto’s as he entered the entrance hall. It looked like the whole class had arrived while he was passed out. He awkwardly greeted them.

“H-Hi, My name’s Makoto Naegi, Ultimate Luck. Nice to meet you all!”

“And My name’s Jon Uragiri, Ultimate Linguist.”

Makoto took a step forward before a guy wearing a white uniform approached them.

“Makoto Naegi and Jon Uragiri! You are both 2 minutes late! Explain yourselves!” he boomed.

“Fucking hell, man! Calm down! Some of us are recovering from a headache!” Makoto heard Jon mutter next to him.

The guy took a step back and straightened himself out before speaking again. 

“Language! I apologize for causing discomfort, but I will not let this go unreprimanded!”

“What are you shouting at them for? It’s not like they wanted to be late.” Said a girl from somewhere to Makoto’s right.

“She’s not wrong. We couldn’t help it.” Said Jon. “We both passed out when we entered the school. And my head hurts like hell right now-”

“Whoa, you too?” said a guy with messy brown hair that seemed to go everywhere.

“This just keeps getting curiouser and curiouser…” said a girl with pale skin and red eyes.

“So strange…. I declare without a doubt that this is very strange indeed!” said a chubby guy who wore glasses.

“Um… what are you guys talking about? I honestly have no idea what’s going on.” Said Makoto.

A brunette girl took a step forward. 

“Could everyone calm down, please? Shouldn’t we introduce ourselves?”

“The hell? Now’s not the time for friggin’ introductions!”

“I agree with her. Everyone should calm down a little after that. Hopefully stop making so much noise too…” said Jon.

Everyone agreed to it, and so the introductions had begun.

“I hope you don’t mind me following you for a little bit Makoto. You’re the first one I talked to, and I’m not really good at introducing myself anyway.” Said Jon. “Especially not with this goddamn _headache_.”

“I-I guess you can…” Makoto stuttered.

“Good.” Jon said, nodding. “Let’s go talk to that loudmouth over there.”

“You just said your head hurt! Why would you want to talk to him first?”

“That’s the point. If I talk to him now, I won’t have to talk to him later…”

“Oh. Ok then.”

Jon and Makoto approached the guy in the white uniform, who, upon spotting them, turned to face them.

“Who are you?” asked Makoto.

The guy raised his fist in the air.

“I am Kiyotaka Ishimaru! The Ultimate Moral Compass!”

The Moral Compass put his fist down.

“You can call me Taka. You said your name was Makoto Naegi, right?”

Taka raised his hands in the air, and chuckled.

“That’s a good name! A strong name! You should thank your parents for it!” Taka paused. “But only through hard work can it become a great name! Work towards it, and it will become so!”

“Nice to meet you too, Taka…” Jon muttered next to Makoto.

Taka looked at Jon.

“Oh! I apologize! Forgive me for forgetting about you. Jon Uragiri, right?”

“Yeah…”

“That’s a good name as well!”

Jon looked to the right. Makoto could see the faintest hints of annoyance on his face.

The next person that Makoto noticed was a girl in the corner of the room, who looked agitated and glanced around the room like a spooked rabbit. She wore a black dress and had twin pigtails in her black hair. She also wore glasses.

Makoto and Jon walked towards her and greeted her, which she answered with silence and a suspicious glare.

“Can you tell us your name?” Jon asked.

The girl looked down.

“M-my name is T-Toko, Toko Fukawa.”

“So, you’re the uh… Ultimate… Writing Prodigy, right?” Makoto asked.

Jon glanced at Makoto.

“You know her?”

“I looked up most of the people in our class on a forum before I came here. Toko’s famous for writing a masterpiece at the age of 10, or something like that.” Responded Makoto.

“Really?” Jon raised his eye brows. “She must be really talented then.”

At hearing Jon’s words, Toko began to fidget.

“W-what are you trying to d-do? Are y-you just praising m-me so you can b-bring me down l-later!?” Toko pointed an accusatory finger at Jon. “T-that must be it! You a-already hate me s-so much that you w-would do s-something like t-that! You probably t-think I’m u-utter garbage d-don’t you!?”

 _She has a big inferiority complex_ , thought Makoto. _I thought her personality would be a little lovey-dovey, what with her specialty being romance…_

Jon put his hands to his head again.

“Please stop screaming at me…”

Makoto and Jon left Toko to her inane ramblings, and they greeted the girl who was standing somewhere nearby. She had long, flowing blue hair, with hair clips to keep her bangs out of her face. Other than that, she looked like any other high schooler.

“Hi! I’m Sayaka Maizono! I look forward to getting to know you!”

Makoto stared at Sayaka. He remembered that she was the Ultimate Pop Sensation, or something like that, but he also vaguely recognized her.

“Sayaka…?” He spoke slowly.

“Makoto? Is that you?” she said, I smile slowly forming across her face.

Jon stepped up from beside Makoto. “Wait, you two know each other? Or did you both just look at the forum?”

Sayaka glanced at Jon briefly. “Of course! Makoto and I went to the same Middle School!”

“Wait, you remember me!?” Makoto gasped, almost shouting.

“Volume, Makoto, volume…” murmured Jon, planting his head in his hands once more.

“R-right, sorry…” Makoto stuttered. “You remember me, Sayaka?”

Sayaka giggled. “Of course I do! Did you think I wouldn’t?”

“W-well kinda, yeah. We never talked during Middle School…”

Sayaka’s radiant smile faltered slightly. “Ah, I’m sorry about that, I’ve been meaning to talk to you since-“

Sayaka was interrupted by Taka, who from across the room shouted at them to hurry up with their introductions.

“Self-Introductions are for introducing yourself! Not for idle chit-chat!” He shouted.

Sayaka’s smile vanished completely, leaving Makoto slightly disheartened. She looked like she really had something to say.

“Y-you’re right.” Sayaka mumbled. “Sorry, I get carried away sometimes. Maybe we can talk later?”

“Y-yeah, okay.” Said Makoto as he walked away, and Jon followed him.

The next person they talked to was a boy with spiky red hair, a goatee, and a white hoodie.

“Yo! Name’s Leon Kuwata! What’s up?”

Jon spoke before Makoto could even open his mouth.

“Well, first off, you can keep your voice down. And secondly, what’s your talent?” Jon stated bluntly.

Leon paused, but he answered Jon’s question.

“I’m the Ultimate Baseball Star, but I was hoping to get it changed”

“Why? It’s obvious you’re good at it, or else you wouldn’t be called the ‘Ultimate Baseball Star’.”

Leon put his hands in his pockets. 

“Well, I just never really liked it, ya know? It’s been something I’ve always been good at, but it’s not something I’m passionate about.”

“So what are you passionate about, Leon?” asked Jon.

“Well, I’ve been looking to get my title changed to ‘Ultimate Musician’, ‘cause I really like music. Can't be too hard, right?”

Jon raised one eye brow and folded his arms.

“Really? That’s the only reason?”

“Well…” Leon began.

Makoto felt like he wasn’t even a part of the conversation anymore, so he walked away to introduce himself to someone else.

The rest of the introductions were like the past four. There was Celestia Ludenburg, or Celeste, as she preferred to be called, who was the Ultimate Gambler. There was nothing wrong with her, but she did seem a little off to Makoto. Then there was Yamada Hifumi, The Ultimate Fanfic Creator who was a bit chubby and seemed very passionate about all things ‘2D’. There was Aoi Asahina, or Hina, who was the Ultimate Swimming Pro. She was actually very nice, if a little obsessed with donuts. Chihiro Fujisaki, who was the Ultimate Programmer, was nice, if a bit shy. Junko Enoshima, the Ultimate Fashionista seemed a bit… off. But she was completely normal from what he could see. There was Mondo Owada, the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader, who got angry easily, but didn’t seem like a bad guy if you just talked to him. Sakura Ogami was another one. She was the Ultimate Martial Artist, and she was pretty much nothing but muscle. She was also a very pleasant person to talk to, which could not be said for Byakuya Togami, the Ultimate Affluent Progeny, who didn’t even give Makoto the time of day. There was also Yasuhiro Hagakure, the Ultimate Clairvoyant, who was not the brightest, and didn’t seem to understand anything really. And then there was Kyoko Kirigiri.

Kyoko Kirigiri. What a strange person…

When Makoto greeted her, she simply stared right into his eyes, like the answer to all her questions would be there.

“Uh… Who are you?” Makoto asked.

The lilac haired girl paused, then spoke.

“My name is Kyoko Kirigiri.” She replied bluntly.

An awkward silence soon fell. Makoto, trying to come up with something to talk about, asked her what her Ultimate Talent was.

“Do I have to tell you?” was her immediate response.

“N-no, I guess you don’t have to…” stuttered Makoto.

“Right, I don’t have to so I won’t.”

Makoto saw no point in questioning any further, not if she didn’t want to tell him anything.

As soon as Makoto was done speaking to Kyoko, Byakuya spoke up.

“Okay, time to get down to business.”

“I agree.” Said Jon, still standing next to Leon. “Does anyone know what’s going on?”

“Yeah, someone said something about a bigger problem, right? What’s that about?” said Makoto.

“Well, you see…” Began Sayaka. “You said you passed out and woke up in a classroom, right Makoto?” Makoto nodded. “Well, the same thing happened to all of us.”

“W-what!?” shouted Makoto unintentionally.

“As soon as we entered the building, we all passed out, I guess.” Said Leon.

“Well that just raises more questions.” Said Jon, looking at Leon. “Like, how were they able to do that?”

Before anyone could answer Jon, one of the screens in the entrance hall lit up suddenly, and a high-pitched voice began to echo throughout the room.

“Hello? Hello? Testing, one, two, one, two. Okay, well then…” it said.

For some reason, the voice gave Makoto a bad vibe, and a chill ran up his spine.

“To all incoming students! I would like to begin the entrance ceremony… right now! Please report to the Gymnasium at your earliest convenience…”

The screen switched off, and the voice faded. Everyone seemed to be glued to their place, unable to move. Jon was the first to break the silence.

“What. In the name of God, was that?” he whispered.

“I have no idea, man…” Leon replied. “That voice gives me goosebumps…”

“Well, if you all will excuse me…” Byakuya walked to the door, and out into the hallway.

Everyone else slowly made their way out into the hallway, except for Makoto, Jon, and Leon, who stayed behind for a few moments longer. Jon was the first to move towards the door out of the three. He looked at both Leon and Makoto.

“I have a bad feeling about this, guys…” he said as he exited the entrance hall. Leon and Makoto followed soon after.


	2. New Life

Makoto and Leon were the last to enter the gym. Everyone else was spread out around the gym, talking amongst themselves. The gym was very spacious; it could easily hold a few hundred people. Towards the back from where Makoto and Leon entered was a raised area where a podium sat unattended. 

Leon and Makoto joined the group, who began to gather in the middle of the gym.

“Is… someone supposed to be here?” Sayaka asked.

“Well, they told us to come here at our ‘earliest convenience’.” Jon said.

“I’m getting’ tired of waiting! I want answers!” Mondo shouted.

“And answers you shall have!” replied a high-pitched voice.

Everyone’s eyes immediately darted towards the empty podium. A few seconds after the voice spoke, a small, half-white and half-black bear jumped up from the bottom of the podium and now stood on top of it. A red eye on the left side of it’s face shaped like a lightning bolt glowed ominously as the bear surveyed the students. Makoto didn't realize what the red eye was until he remembered the Hope's Peak Academy crest. It looked _exactly_ like on side of it.

It stood still for a few seconds, until Hifumi made a few tentative steps towards the podium.

“Uh, who put a teddy bear here…?”

The bear came to life the instant Hifumi finished his sentence, as if it was waiting for someone to speak.

“What!? I’m not JUST a teddy bear! I. Am. MONOKUMAAAAA!”

Monokuma jumped in the air as he said his name. Hifumi practically jumped up ten feet in the air.

“EEEEEEEEEEE! It speaks!?”

Monokuma waved one arm dramatically.

“Of course I can speak! What use is a Headmaster who can’t speak!? Absolutely nothing!”

Monokuma put his hand/paw down and spoke once more.

“And with that distraction out of the way. I would like to personally welcome you all to Hope’s Peak Academy! I hope you all get comfortable, because you’ll be here for, oh, I don’t know…”

Monokuma began counting on one of his paws.

“Your whole lives!”

The gym became deathly silent, until Celeste spoke up.

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me!” Monokuma said. “You’ll all be part of a communal school life here! Whether you like it or not! I guess you could even say that this School will be your whole world!”

“Surely there must be some way out.” Jon said. “You can’t just keep us-“

Jon was cut off by Monokuma abruptly shouting. 

“Have you all not been listening to me!? If I say there’s no way out, there’s no way out! Jeez, kids these days, can’t listen for more than four seconds without being distracted by their own thoughts!”

“Well, he’s not wrong.” Makoto said. “I mean, there has to be some way out.”

Monokuma looked down, like he was disappointed.

“You guys are really dead set on getting out of her, ain’t ya? Well, I was going to wait to tell you this later, but since you all are _sooooo_ impatient… I guess I can tell you. There is one way out…”

Byakuya finally joined in on the conversation.

“And what might that be?” he said.

Monokuma looked up, and stared straight at the group of students.

“Murder.”

Makoto’s blood turned to ice. A palpable silence fell on everyone. Jon was the first to break the silence.

“…Beg pardon?” his voice was barely above a whisper.

“Do you want me to spell it out for you guys!? Murder! Killing! Cadaverising! Whatever you want to call it! It doesn’t matter what way you do it in. Beating, stabbing, shooting, hacking, strangling, hanging, any way you want!” Monokuma leaned on the podium. “As long as someone dies and you were the cause, you get to leave.”  
Monokuma leaned back into a slouched position.

“This is stupid!” Mondo hollered as he marched up to the podium. “Your better let me out of here right now or I’ll beat you into the ground!”

“Oh yeah!?” said Monokuma. “What are ya gonna do biker boy? Impale me on that ridiculous pompadour?”

“You son of a bitch!” Mondo charged at the podium, and picked up Monokuma by the neck.

“Ah! V-violence against the headmaster is strictly prohibited!”

“I don’t give a damn! You let me out or-“

Before Mondo could finish his sentence, a loud beeping sound came from Monokuma, and he began to pulsate slightly.

Every muscle in Mondo’s body seemed to stop, and he couldn’t move.

“What are you waiting for!?” shouted a voice from behind Makoto, who he recognized as Kyoko’s. “Throw it! Throw it _now_!”

“Throw it you fool!” Jon shouted, who seemed to catch on to what was about to happen. “Throw it or you’ll _die!_ ”

Mondo snapped out of his trance, and threw the bear as hard as he could into the air. Not two seconds afterward Monokuma exploded violently, bits him landing everywhere around the gym.

“W-what the hell…?” Mondo stuttered. “Was he really going to-“

“Kill you? Yes, I was.”

Everyone, including Mondo, looked back at the podium to see Monokuma, better than ever, standing there like nothing happened.

“I should have told you this earlier, but violence against the headmaster is unacceptable!” said Monokuma. “I’ll let you off with a warning since it’s your first day, but anyone who tries to harm me henceforth will be punished severely.”

Monokuma paused.

“That reminds me, here.”

Monokuma threw out around 16 black boxes, each one marked with a name.

“Those are your E-Handbooks! They contain everything you’ll need for your bright, hopeful, new life here!” 

Monokuma leaned back.

“ _Weeeeelllll_ , I think that’s enough exposition for me today. I’ll let you guys sort out the rest for yourselves! Your E-Handbooks have all the rules and regulations, and pretty much anything else you’ll need for your communal life here. _Gooooooood_ night!”

Monokuma fell backwards, and disappeared from sight.

Makoto couldn’t move. It felt like every bone in his body was made of led. When he finally moved again and looked around the room, he saw everyone in the room, staring at each other with distrust. This silent staring contest continued for a few seconds.

“Well? Are you all just going to stand there and glare at each other?” Kyoko finally said.

Jon took a deep breath, his headache apparently forgotten.

“What the fuck did I just witness…” he mumbled.

“L-language!” Taka said half-heartedly.

“Really? You’re going to do this now? After what we just saw?” Jon retorted.

“W-well, shouldn’t we, uh, go look around the school?” said Chihiro, whose voice was barely above a whisper. “I-I mean, we may find a way out after all… we could travel in groups of three.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Byakuya said, and he made his way towards the exit.

“H-hey, where are you goin’?” said Mondo.

Byakuya scoffed. “What does it look like? I’m going to explore the school. Alone.”

He turned away from the group.

“Anyone of you could be planning a murder as we speak, it would be a fool’s gambit to go in groups and explore a school we know nothing about like she suggested.”

Chihiro looked down, tears forming at the edges of her eyes. 

“I-I’m sorry, maybe it isn’t such a good idea…”

“What the hell is wrong with you man!?” said Mondo. “Chihiro was just tryin’ to help!”

Byakuya turned back around to face the biker. 

“And I am doing what’s best for me. Going around in groups with no experience with the school would be a mistake, something you do daily, I’m sure.”

“You wanna go, punk!?” shouted Mondo, getting in Byakuya’s face.

Makoto finally stepped in to try and defuse the situation.

“Guys, calm down! We shouldn’t be fighting at a time like this!”

“Are you tellin’ me what to do!?” Mondo faced Makoto, pure rage in his eyes.

“N-no I-“

“No one tells me what to do!” he roared, raising his fist in air, ready to punch Makoto as hard as he could.

“I wouldn’t do that, Mondo.” Said a calm voice from behind, who Makoto recognized as Jon’s.

“What!? What do you mean?” Mondo said.

“Just calm down. Makoto doesn’t seem to be the sturdiest person here, and if you were going to hit him as hard as I think you were…”

Mondo’s eyes widened as he realized what Jon was implying.

“A-alright.” He muttered, as he walked towards Chihiro and stood beside him.

Byakuya glared at Mondo for a few more moments, then walked out of the gym entirely.

“H-he’s right you know…” Toko said. Makoto forgot she was even there, she was so silent. “W-we can’t trust a-anyone…”

She fidgeted as she briskly walked towards the door.

“Y-you’re all probably p-planning to m-murder someone right now!” She screeched as she ran out of the gym.

Everyone began to form groups to explore the school. Despite what Byakuya and Toko said, everyone else believed it was a good idea. Makoto walked around aimlessly, looking for a group to explore with. He was eventually approached by Jon, and they both gathered Leon and Kyoko. The four of them left the gym together.

* * *

“So… uh… What do you guys think of all this?” Leon said, attempting to make conversation.

Makoto, Jon, Leon, and Kyoko were exploring the Cafeteria. So far, all that they’ve found out is that they won’t go hungry or thirsty, and that the windows that cover one side of the cafeteria showed grass and trees, but the real outside was blocked by a massive metal panel.

“What do you mean by ‘all this’?” Jon responded.

“Well, I mean, this. Everything that’s happened.”

“If I’m honest, I’m still holding out on the ‘this is all just a dream’ theory, but that seems less and less likely as time goes on.”

Leon sighed. 

“I hope it’s like that too, man…”

“Well, we can make the most of this situation, right?” Makoto said suddenly.

“That’s the only thing we can do, really.” Jon said. “We also have to be prepared for the worst.”

“W-what do you mean?” stuttered Makoto.

“I don’t want to be that guy, but you know exactly what I mean.”

“You’re talking about murder.” Kyoko stated, who had been observing the conversation.

Jon nodded. “All I’m saying is that we need to be careful. Don’t completely trust anybody. You never know what they might do in a situation like this.”

Makoto noticed that Jon’s eyes glazed over, like he was remembering something.

Leon sat down.

“Maybe we should sit down? Everyone will be here soon, I think.”

“Yeah, who knows? Maybe they found a way out!” Makoto sat down on the long table, and Jon sat down in front of him. Kyoko took a spot at the far end of the table. They all waited for a few minutes, and soon enough, the whole group arrived at the cafeteria.

* * *

“I state that this Exploration Meeting is now in session!” Taka shouted.

“You know there are ways to say things without shouting.” Jon said.

Taka ignored Jon, and continued.

“I shall begin with Celeste, Hifumi, and Sayaka’s group! What did you find?”

“We didn’t really find anything…” Sayaka said..

“We did find the dorms.” Celeste chimed in. “It seems we all have a room, and the keys are on the doors.”

“Excellent! Sakura, what did your group find out?”

Sakura sat in her chair, her arms crossed and her eyes closed.

“All of the metal plates covering the windows are extremely sturdy.” She said. “They would not budge”

“Less Excellent! But thank you regardless!” responded Taka. “Makoto! What did you find?”

“W-well, the kitchen is packed with food, and Monokuma told us that it’s restocked every day, so we won’t have to worry about starving or dehydrating, I guess.”

“That’s better! Now I would like to share what me, Chihiro, and Mondo discovered!” He announced loudly.

“We found nothin’ except for the baths.” Mondo said before Taka could begin to speak.

“I-indeed! Baths are very useful in a time like this!” stuttered Taka.

“So, let me get this straight.” Junko said suddenly. “No one found anything that could help us escape?”

The whole room went completely silent.

“Really? No one found anything?”

“You are going to die.”

Everyone turned towards Celeste, who was sitting down near the end of the table.

“W-what?” Junko stuttered.

“You are showing weakness in front of everyone, and because of that, you will die.” Celeste clarified. She smiled as she said that.

“Thanks for bringing down the tone, Celeste.” Jon said.

“You are very welcome, Jon.” Celeste replied, giving him her signature smile.

“ _Salope_.” 

“Excuse me?”

“Nothing.”

Jon got up from the table.

“If no one else has anything say, I say we call it a day.”

“Yes! I was getting to that!” Taka said.

“I propose we bring this meeting to a close, and come back tomorrow!”

Everyone agreed, and they all went to their dorm rooms. Makoto stood back for a while, mulling over everything that had happened. He was exhausted when he got to his room. He was about to curl up in his bed and sleep, when an announcement played over the intercom, and an image of Monokuma was displayed on the monitor in his room.

“This is a school announcement. It is now 10 pm. As such, it is officially nighttime. Soon the doors to the dining hall will be locked, and entry at that point is strictly prohibited. Good night everyone, sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite!”

* * *

Jon heard the announcement, but he didn’t go to sleep. He always had a problem with insomnia, but he felt like tonight he wouldn’t be able to get any. That was fine though. He wanted to review everything that happened today, and to inspect the object in his pocket.

Jon pulled out a pistol.

He inspected it. It was an M1911, the type people have been using for almost a century. Japan stopped using these in the mid-80s, yet here he was, holding one. It was definitely not new, the weathered appearance and lack of bright color made that obvious.

Jon ejected the magazine and looked inside. There were seven bullets still inside, and it looked like the it could hold two more. He put the pistol back in his pocket. Jon didn’t plan on using it unless he absolutely had too. He didn’t want to believe that anyone would kill each other here, but he knew better than that. Humans could do frightening things if you pushed them hard enough. He knew that better than anyone. So, he would keep the gun as self-defense, in case anyone went after him. 

He spent a good portion of the night at the desk in his room, thinking over who might kill who, and who was more dangerous than others, until he finally fell asleep on his desk.


	3. Self Defense

“Attention everyone! It is now 7 a.m., which means it’s morning, wake up!”

Makoto awoke to the sound of the morning announcement blaring in his ears. He groaned. He’d been asleep for a while, but it felt like he had only just gone to sleep.  
Makoto got up but when he went to open the door to the bathroom in his room, it wouldn’t budge.

“Having a bit of trouble there?”

“WHA-“

Makoto jumped, screaming. He turned around and saw Monokuma sitting on his bed like he owned the place.

“H-how did you get in!?”

“Puhuhuhuhu~. If that’s the kinda reaction I get when I come into your room, I should do this more often!” Monokuma jumped off Makoto’s bed and stood near the door to the bathroom.

“You wanted to open this door, right? Take a nice hot n’ steamy shower?”

Makoto felt embarrassed, but he really did want to take a shower.

“Y-yes…”

“Well, let me explain!” Monokuma raised his hand/paw/nubs to the door.

“Your door is a _liiiiiiittle_ too big for the frame! It won’t budge if you just turn the nob and push!” Monokuma raised his hand, turned the nob, and pushed. The door opened perfectly.

“See? Now you do it!”

Monokuma closed the door and moved out of the way so Makoto could try. He did the same thing Monokuma did, and the door opened just as before.

“Ah! How ironic.” Said Monokuma.

“Yours is the only door with that problem! How unlucky!”

Makoto turned around, but the bear was already gone. He sighed. He took a short shower, got dressed, and made his way towards the cafeteria.

Everyone except Jon, Byakuya, and Toko were already in the cafeteria. After a brief chastising from Taka, Makoto sat down to eat some cereal.

Around 5 minutes after Makoto entered the cafeteria, Jon arrived.

“Jon Uragiri! You are 10 minutes late for the morning meeting! Explain yourself!” Taka shouted.

“I’ll explain myself when you stop shouting.” After a few seconds of silence, Jon spoke again. “I have insomnia.” He stated bluntly, before sitting down and laid his head on the table.

“Would you like a donut? Donut’s always help me fall asleep!” Hina chimed.

Jon became unresponsive, even though it was clear he was still awake. He abruptly lifted his head and glanced around the room.

“Where’s Byakuya and Toko?”

Makoto looked around the room. Everyone was there except Toko and Byakuya.

“I don’t know.” Makoto said.

“Pfft, who need’s that prick?” Mondo said.

“Well, someone should go look for them!” Hina said.

“I agree, it is not good to leave anyone out of our meetings.” Sakura said.

“I saw him in the Hallway earlier this morning.” Celeste said. “I was with Hifumi at the time. He never spoke to us, and we saw Toko trailing him.”

“Whatever, he’s probably fine. Besides, he said he wanted to explore the school alone, I say we let him.” Jon said as he laid his head back down.

After that breakfast was pretty uneventful. Everyone ate in silence. Before we all left, Taka suggested everyone get used to their surroundings, instead of focusing on a way out. As Makoto walked in the hallway with everyone’s rooms, he heard a familiar voice from behind him.

“Hey, Makoto?”

Makoto turned around to see Sayaka staring back at him.

“I was wondering if you could help me find something…”

“What do you need to find?”

“I want to find something that I can use in case someone… attacks me. You know, self-defense?”

“D-do you really think you’ll need something like that?” Makoto understood the logic, but he really hoped they wouldn’t need one.

“It’s just in case! Besides, it gives me a chance to talk to you. I’ve been meaning to do that for a while anyways…”

“O-Ok, I guess I could help…”

Sayaka smiled.

“Thanks, Makoto!”

All of Makoto’s doubts vanished after Sayaka smiled at him. The two of them decided to check outside the gym for anything that could be used in self-defense.

“What’s that over there?” Sayaka pointed towards a gold covered sword on one of the displays.

“I think that one may be a replica.” Makoto said, picking up the sword.

“Yeah, it’s made of wood.” He went to put it back, until Sayaka made a suggestion.

“Why don’t you keep it? You could probably find a use for it.”

“M-maybe your right…” Makoto was shocked that he agreed, but he didn’t make a fuss about it.

Makoto put the replica in one hand, and noticed that his palm was shining gold.

“Wha-!?” he brushed it off, and it came off easily. “Gotta be careful with this…”

Makoto turned back to Sayaka, and was about to say something before he was interrupted.

“You’re going to ask me what I wanted to talk about.”

Makoto was stunned. Did he say something without knowing?

“H-how did you know?”

Sayaka’s face formed a serious expression.

“I’m psychic.”

“…Huh?” Makoto barely registered what she said.

“Just kidding! I just have really good intuition!” a smile formed across Sayaka’s face once again, and it instantly put Makoto at ease.

“Oh, Ok. Well… Why did you want to talk to me?”

“Well, I actually wanted to say thank you… and that I’m sorry.”

“W-what are you apologizing for!?”

“Remember back in seventh grade where that huge bird got lost and got stuck in the pond?”

“Yeah, a little…. It was a Crane, right?”

“Yeah! That’s the one! You helped it out, remember?”

“You were… going to thank me for helping out that Crane?”

Sayaka looked down.

“Yeah… I never got to tell you that during middle school, that’s what I wanted to apologize for.”

Sayaka sighed.

“I just wish I could’ve said that under better circumstances…”

“Huh?”

“Well, this whole situation… you know what, never mind, I’ve kept you for too long anyways.”

Makoto wanted to object, but then Sayaka flashed a smile at him.

“It’s fine, really! It’s not important anyway.”

“Heh, did you read my mind again?” Makoto joked.

“Of course I did. I told you, I’m psychic.”

Sayaka’s face became serious once more, and Makoto had a hard time telling whether or not she was just kidding again, until she said so of course.

“Hehe, just kidding! I just have really good intuition.”

* * *

Makoto didn’t know what to expect when he walked past the cafeteria, but it certainly wasn’t Jon and Leon having an existential conversation.

“-but wouldn’t that be pointless? I mean, if your consciousness just kept ‘existing’, then wouldn’t you just get bored?” said Jon.

“I dunno, man. I just like the thought of living ‘forever’, not really living, though.”

“That’s another point, how long is forev-“

“Oh, ‘Sup Makoto.”

Makoto didn’t even realize he had entered the cafeteria, he meant to just walk past and continue exploring parts of the school he may have missed, or to take a nap, but he’d been so interested in Jon and Leon’s conversation that he walked in without noticing.

“H-hi Leon. Sorry if I interrupted. What were you guys talking about?”

“We were talking about the feasibility of suicide.” Jon deadpanned.

Leon, who was drinking out of a water bottle, dropped it and began coughing.

“W-w-what!? R-really?” Makoto asked, stunned.

Jon’s eyes widened marginally.

“I was being sarcastic.”

“Y-yeah.” Leon stuttered. “We weren’t talking about anything like that.”

Jon turned to Leon.

“Hey, Leon, could you… do something else? We’ll continue later. I have something I want to talk about with Makoto.”

Leon shrugged. “Sure, man. See ya later.”

As Leon exited the cafeteria, Jon looked at Makoto, and gestured towards a seat across from him.

“Makoto, can I tell you something?”

“Yeah, sure. What is it?”

“It has something to do with our imprisonment here.”

Makoto’s eyes widened.

“R-really?”

“Yes.”

Jon’s eyes pierced into Makoto’s. His gaze unblinking.

“I’ve been getting… visions, dreams for lack of a better term. I think my subconscious has been trying to send me a message.”

Jon paused to make sure Makoto was paying attention. He continued.

“I’ve come to understand what it means. I’ve been implanted with a code, a catchphrase, that when said by anyone other than myself, will give any information about our current predicament to the person who said the code. But, it comes at a terrible cost…”

Jon looked down, and grimaced.

“My personality will be completely erased; my consciousness will cease to exist.”

Jon looked back up at Makoto.

“I want to give you that code.”

Makoto, who had been entranced by Jon’s story, sputtered.

“W-what!? Why would you want to do that!?”

“Because you’re the only person I trust with it.”

Jon searched in his pocket, and pulled out a pen and paper.

“Here, let me write it down.”

After a few seconds, Jon folded the slip of paper, and held it out towards Makoto.

“Only use it if it is absolutely necessary.”

Makoto hesitated. “Y-you’re putting a lot of trust in me.”

“Take the paper, Makoto.”

Makoto shakily took the slip of paper from Jon’s hand. Jon took a deep breath, and got up from his seat.

“Don’t look at it until I leave here, if you would be so kind. Goodbye, Makoto.”

Jon left the cafeteria, leaving Makoto alone in the spacious room. He resisted opening the note until the Nighttime announcement went off. When Makoto was inside his room alone, he sat down, took a deep breath, and unfolded the slip of paper. What was written inside shocked him. On the inside of the note was a single sentence.

“ _You can’t trust anyone, Makoto_.”

* * *

Makoto walked into the cafeteria. Everyone except Jon was there. Even Toko and Byakuya were there this time, albeit separate from the main table everyone else sat at.  
Jon walked in not long after.

“Jon Uragiri! If you show up late once more I must submit a formal complaint!”

“To who, Taka? To who?” Jon said, annoyed.

Jon looked around the room, as if he was looking for someone.

“My god, everyone! Look! It’s the Affluent Progeny! We should all take a bow and bask in his glory!”

Hina, Hiro, and Leon snickered at this. No one else paid attention except for Byakuya and Toko.

Toko looked at Jon, but not out of contempt. Makoto could see that she looked at Jon almost with respect. Byakuya just glared at him.

“Cease your chatter, plebeian.” Byakuya stated.

“Of course, _Fickfehler_ , whatever you say.”

“What did you call me?”

“Look up a german dictionary and find out for yourself.”

Everyone else seemed a little more comfortable today, Hifumi was sitting next to Celeste, the latter casually talking to the other. Sakura and Hina were sitting together. Byakuya and Toko were on another table from the rest of the group. Byakuya was sitting alone while Toko watched him, a lopsided grin on her face. Leon, Junko, Jon, and Sayaka were sitting together, chatting happily. Hagakure, Taka, Mondo, and Chihiro were all sitting together towards the front of the table. The only one left was Kyoko, who sat alone at the end of the table.

Makoto felt bad for her. Out of everyone here, no one sat next to Kyoko. The closest person was Leon, who was cracking a joke that only Jon seemed to get, while Junko and Sayaka stared at him in confusion. Steeling his courage, Makoto got some cereal, and sat down next to Kyoko.

If she in any way acknowledged his presence, she didn’t show it. Kyoko just continued eating her breakfast as if nothing had happened, and Makoto did the same. Halfway through Makoto’s cereal, Kyoko asked one question.

“Why are you sitting next to me?”

Makoto didn’t expect such a blunt question, and he struggled to answer.

“W-well, I just saw that you were sitting by yourself, and I thought that… Y-you know, I could just move away if you’d li-“

“I was just asking a question.” She interrupted. “Answer it.”

“I-I saw that you were sitting alone, and I don’t like to see people like that,” he said. “I can still move away if I make you feel uncomfo-“

“That will not be necessary.” She interrupted once more. “I was simply asking a question.”

That was the last thing Kyoko said to Makoto during breakfast. They both ate the rest of their breakfast in silence.

Makoto glanced around the room. He saw everyone having a good time, talking with each other, bonding with each other, despite the bleak situation they were all in, it seemed as if everyone had… hope.

Someone came and fixed that right away.

“My, my, my! Look at you! Chatting and making friends as if you’re _not_ in a game where you’re supposed to kill each other!”

Everyone turned towards the entrance of the cafeteria, where a distinct monochrome bear stood.

“This is so _booooooooorrrrriiiiiinnnnnggggg!_ All of you! I would have expected one of you to snap at this point!”

“It doesn’t matter what you do Monokuma! We won’t kill any of our friends!” Makoto shouted.

Several voices of agreement rang out. Monokuma walked towards the table, and stood up on top of it.

“You know what? Maybe I’ve been doing this wrong… what to do, what to do…?” Monokuma raised one of his paws to his chin, as if he was thinking.

“Oh. _Ooooooooh_. I know what to do! You guys just need a little ‘motivation’. No need to thank me, this is my gift to you!”

Monokuma jumped off the table, and walked towards the exit.

“There’s a surprise waitin’ for ya in the place with the monitors, or whatever it’s called…”

“Before you leave, can I ask you a question?” Kyoko said suddenly.

“Why have you kept us here? What do you want from us?”

“You asked two questions, but I guess I should answer you…” Monokuma stood up straight, and his red eye flashed ominously. “Despair…. That’s all I want.”

Monokuma walked away, and disappeared.

“I don’t know what answer you were expecting, Kyoko.” Said Jon. “You expected that bear to give us a coherent answer?”

Kyoko remained silent, which was almost as alarming as the ‘motive’ Monokuma mentioned.

“I-I’ll go see about this motive…” Said Makoto, he walked towards the door.

“Better him than me…” Hiro said, which earned him a glare from half the room.

Before Makoto left the cafeteria, he heard Jon say something from behind him.

“Be careful, Makoto. There’s no telling what that bear has planned.”


	4. Nuclear Meltdown

Makoto walked aimlessly around the Academy. It would have been so much easier if Monokuma had just told him where to go instead of just giving them a vague name, but he’s going to find this ‘motive’ or whatever Monokuma has in store no matter what. Fortunately, after a few more minutes of wandering around, Makoto sees the not-so-conspicuous form of Monokuma running out of a room and darting down the hall. Makoto thought he heard a faint ‘puhuhu’ as he saw the bear racing down the hallway, but he wasn’t sure.

Makoto finds the room Monokuma had just ran out of. It had a video tape on the sign outside. The room inside was expansive. Dozens of monitors were across the room. Towards the back there was a projector screen, but it didn’t seem to work.

Makoto walked slowly around the room, until he found a strange cardboard box. When he opened it, he saw 16 different DVDs, each one marked with a student’s name. This must be the motive, he thought.

Makoto hesitated. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t curious about what was on it. But then again, if it came from Monokuma, then it was bound to be awful. He gave into his curiosity, and inserted the disk into a DVD player and put on headphones.

An image came up after a few seconds. It was his family.

To be more specific, it was his family the day he went to Hope’s Peak. They were congratulating him on getting into Hope’s Peak, even though he got in only through a series of mishaps, and to be honest, he wasn’t feeling very lucky, considering the situation he found himself in. The scene in front of him still made him smirk slightly.

Then the screen went dark.

To say that Makoto was startled by the image that played next would be an understatement. The screen cut to a scene that would not go amiss in a post-apocalyptic movie. The sofa his family was sitting on not 2 seconds before was decaying and destroyed. The image had a dark blue hue to it that made seem even more dreary than it already was.

Just as quickly as the image had been put up, it disappeared. Leaving nothing but text in a font that looked very blocky.

“What happened to your family? Only one way to find out!”

“No…” Makoto uttered, not even caring if he said it aloud.

“No! No! No! I need to get out! I need to get out _right now_!”

“Um, Makoto… Are you okay?” said a quiet voice behind him.

Makoto whipped his head around to see Sayaka, and everyone else, standing in the doorway.

Makoto pointed towards the box of DVDs. He wanted to warn them about what may be inside them, but he was too distracted by his own thoughts to even speak anymore.

Everyone cautiously took a DVD from the box, and they all went to a separate monitor. After they put their headphones on, and then inserted their disks into the DVD players.

Makoto watched as the situation progressed. Everyone wore either a neutral expression, or a slight smirk as he had done, then confusion, then outright horror as their videos played. The only people who seemed to keep their composure were Kyoko, Jon, Byakuya, and Celeste, who all had the same deadpan face.

Once everyone saw their video, the room exploded into a cacophony. 

“What was that?”

“What’s going on!?”

“Why… Why are they doing this to us?”

Makoto looked around the room. Kyoko was off in the corner, silently observing the situation, Jon was still at his monitor, he was grasping the top of a chair, and his eyes were closed. Makoto then saw Sayaka.

She looked like she was about to have a mental breakdown. Makoto approached her slowly.

“Sayaka, are you alr-“

***BANG* *CLANK* *CLANK***

Makoto was interrupted by a chair that was thrown across the room, which had almost hit Chihiro. Before he could find out who threw it, he heard someone shouting.

“ _Go ndéana an diabhal dréimire de cnámh do dhroma ag piocadh úll i ngairdín Ifrinn_!”

Makoto couldn’t understand a word that was said, and he quickly found out who was shouting based on it.

Jon was still in the same place Makoto saw him last, though the chair he was holding onto moments before was gone. His expression showed nothing but fury. Makoto swore his eyes almost glowed.

“ _I will fucking kill that monochromatic motherfucker_!”

Makoto still couldn’t understand a single word he said. Everyone else was staring at Jon in shock. They had never seen him act like this before.

“M-maybe you should calm down…” Taka said, trembling.

Jon’s eyes instantly bore into Taka’s.

“Fuck you, Taka.”

Taka took a defensive position, and held his head high.

“Lang-“

Jon walked towards Taka, until his face was centimeters from his.

“Say it.”

Neither Taka nor Jon moved for several seconds.

“Say it you clod!”

Silence.

“That’s better.” Jon said, backing off. He paced for several more seconds, than abruptly left the room.

“So…” Mondo tried to break the silence.

“It seems that the video got to him more than anyone else.” Celeste said.

“What was in that DVD that made him so angry? I’ve talked to him for the past few days, and he has never done something like this…” Leon said.

“S-should someone make sure he’s okay?” Chihiro said, who was still slightly shaken by the chair that almost hit her.

“I wouldn’t” Celeste said. “When someone gets that enraged, it’s best to leave them alone.”

“I agree with Miss Ludenburg! We must not incur his Super Saiyan wrath!” Hifumi chimed in.

Taka mumbled something along the lines of “He’s getting detention for the next year…” but Makoto wasn’t sure.

“He took the DVD anyway, so there is no way we can tell what was on it.” Said Kyoko, who while no one was looking walked towards where Jon saw his video.

Makoto glanced back towards Sayaka who, while still a bit shaken, seemed more calm than before Jon’s outburst.

“H-hey, Sayaka, are you okay?”

Sayaka looked at Makoto, and gave a shaky smile.

“I-I’ll be fine, j-just a little shocked is all.”

She paused, then gave Makoto a quick hug.

“Thank you for being so concerned though!” she said, pulling away.

“Y-y-yeah! Anytime!” stuttered Makoto, who was a little red.

Everyone went their separate ways, and Makoto went back to his room to think.

* * *

Jon slammed the door behind him, and froze. He can’t recall the last time he was this angry. Livid didn’t even come close to describing it.

Jon walked across his room, and then suddenly began pounding his fist on the desk in his room. He started speaking, but he didn’t care what he said, no one was around to hear.

“ _Si oso incluso toca a mi tío, ich will it zerstören, med min Bjørn hænder!_ ”

Jon stopped banging on the desk, and turned his attention to his bed, which he realized was in desperate need of fixing. He ripped the sheets off and threw them to the side. He tried to lift the bed frame, but it was too heavy, so he only succeeded in tilting it slightly.

Jon stopped trying to lift his bed, and walked towards a wall. He punched it as hard as he could, and punched it again and again. 

“ _Quod furcifer! Vou matá-lo! Jeg sverger! Przysięgam_!”

He continued like that until his fist began bleeding, and he stopped.

“ _Fari það allt til helvítis_!”

Jon fell to the ground. His eyes staring into the floor as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. The knuckles on his right hand were bleeding badly, but he didn’t care. He looked up, and eyed the camera that was in the corner of the room.

He slowly got up, and pulled the pistol from his pocket, and aimed it at the camera.

“ _Vas te faire encule, ours._ ”

The shot wasn’t as loud as Jon had imagined, but it was still pretty damn loud. The camera had a small hole in it, with sparks occasionally flaring up, and he imagined it was now inoperable, which cheered him up a little.

“Puhuhuhu! Looks like we got a Rule Breaker!”

Jon looked at his tilted bed, and saw Monokuma standing on it.

“You know the rules! And you also know. The. _Punishment_!”

Monokuma jumped off the bed and stood in front of Jon.

“Huh. Are you going to kill me?” Jon said.

Monokuma looked up at Jon, and crossed his arms.

“I was going to. But I have a better, more despair inducing, idea…”

“Save it. I don’t care what it is, just kill me.”

“But you haven’t even heard what it is yet! I’m extending the olive branch and you’re just going to swat it away!?”

Jon scoffed.

“You’ve already shown me that… video. What else can you take from me?”

“But he’s alive!” Monokuma said excitedly.

“…What?”

“And if you do something for me, I’ll overlook your little incident! I’ll also promise to keep him alive of course. No need to thank me!”

Jon sat on the ground, contemplating his next action. He may regret what he’s about to do later, but he doesn’t care about that right now. He doesn’t like the idea of working with Monokuma, but if it means that they get to survive…

He’ll get vengeance on Monokuma some other day, but he needs to think about the now, not the later.

“…What do you want?”

“Puhuhuhuhu! That’s what I like to hear! Now…”

* * *

Makoto laid on his bed. He wasn’t sleeping, he was too distressed for that, but it helped him relax a little bit. The image of his family, and then the image of the destroyed house went through his mind over and over again. His family couldn’t just be gone. It had been only 4 or 5 days! That video had to be fake.

***DING DONG***

Makoto jumped slightly at the sound of his doorbell ringing. He quickly got up and opened the door.

On the other side was a slightly disheveled looking Jon. Makoto noticed that Jon’s hand was slightly swollen, and his knuckles had dried blood on them.

“Makoto, I need to talk to you.” said Jon.

Makoto’s heart beat faster, and he eyed Jon’s bleeding hand. Jon followed Makoto’s gaze, and moved his hand.

“It’s okay. I just hurt myself on something. I didn’t murder anyone, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

Makoto relaxed slightly.

“O-okay.”

“May I come in?”

“S-sure.”

Makoto opened the door wider, allowing Jon to enter.

“What did you want to talk about?” asked Makoto.

“Those motives, Makoto.”

A chill went up Makoto’s spine as he remembered the images he saw.

“O-ok, by the way, are you ok?” 

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, you got really angry a few hours ago…”

“I’m fine. I’m more worried about everyone else than myself right now.”

“W-why?”

“Do you honestly believe that no one will commit a murder because of those videos?”

Makoto paused.

“I don’t th-“

“It doesn’t matter what you _think_ , what will happen will happen, whether you like it or not.”

Makoto looked around his room, avoiding Jon’s gaze.

“I actually came here to give you some advice.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Jon took a deep breath, and continued.

“Lock your doors, and don’t let anyone in.”

“W-what…?”

“Oh for god’s sake, don’t open your doors for anyone, and don’t let them in! How many times do you want me to repeat it?”

“Bu-“

“I’ve already talked to Leon about this. And he understood this better. I don’t care if Junko Enoshima _herself_ is outside that door, naked, asking you to fuck her sweetly, _don’t let anyone in_!”

Makoto’s face became a beet red.

“W-why did you have to phrase it like that!?” 

“Because you wouldn’t listen to me otherwise! Look at me Makoto.”

Makoto looked into Jon’s eyes.

“Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Jon put a hand on Makoto’s shoulder and shook it slightly.

“Do you?”

“Y-yes!” squeaked Makoto, who was becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the situation.

“Good.” Jon took his hand off Makoto’s shoulder, and briskly walked to the door.

“Remember what I said Makoto, and goodnight.”

“W-wait” Makoto stuttered.

Jon turned around and looked at Makoto expectantly. Makoto fumbled around with his pockets, and pulled out a slip of paper.

“What did this mean?”

Makoto unfolded the piece of paper, “You can’t trust anyone, Makoto.” Was written on the inside of it.

Jon looked at it for a moment, and then smirked.

“Exactly what it says.”

Jon closed the door behind him as he left a very confused and frightened Makoto alone.

* * *

It was only an hour after Jon left when the Nighttime announcement went off. It felt like only a few hours had passed since he got up and ate breakfast with everyone.

Makoto felt scared for no real reason. It was true that Jon’s visit was sudden in itself, but the look in his eyes… that wasn’t the Jon Makoto had talked to on the first day, the Jon he talked to just an hour earlier was someone else. More angry, more… desperate? That was the only word he could describe it as.

***DING* *DONG***

Makoto hesitantly walked towards the door. Jon’s words echoed through his mind.

( _Don’t open your doors for anyone._ )

Makoto opened his door, and a very distraught Sayaka stood on the other side. It looked like she was deliberately avoiding his eyes.

“Hey, Makoto…” she whispered.

“Sayaka… is everything alright?” Makoto said.

“I-I heard someone banging on my door a little while ago…”

“What?”

“It started with someone turning the handle, but it kept going faster and faster… and then they started banging their fists on it…”

“Sayaka, the doors have locks, no one can get in.”

( _You can’t trust anyone, Makoto._ )

“I-I know, but I just…”

“Sayaka, I promise, it’ll be okay. Just lock your doors, and don’t let anyone in.”

“Makoto, I… I…”

Makoto looked at Sayaka, it looked like she was about to cry, and she was clutching something behind her ba- 

( _Do you understand what I’m saying? Do you?_ )

Sayaka held a knife in her right hand.


	5. Athazagoraphobia

Kyoko knew something was wrong the minute she stepped foot inside the cafeteria. One, Jon was sitting upright, eyes wide open, scanning the room. Jon has said that he has insomnia, and he’s been late almost every day they’ve all been trapped in the school. Second, Sayaka appeared to be dreary, a far cry from the way she usually acts. And lastly, Makoto was nowhere to be found.

Kyoko took a seat in her usual spot on the far end of the table, away from everyone else, and ate her breakfast. She took quick glances at Jon, who seemed to become more agitated and tense as time went on. Sayaka was facing down, not looking at anyone. Leon was trying to get Jon to talk, but Jon didn’t respond.  
Breakfast went on without anyone really talking. It was as if the hopeful atmosphere from just the day prior had completely disappeared.

Kyoko noticed Jon abruptly stand up.

“I’m sorry, but I need to check something.”

He quickly walked towards the exit of the cafeteria, and Kyoko heard him begin jogging when he left.

Kyoko got up and went after him. She was, of course, suspicious of Jon. Anyone with basic perceptive and deduction skills would be too. It wasn’t just the fact that his right hand had scabs on the knuckles, but also because of his odd behavior. 

Kyoko deduced that he had gone down the hallway that led to the dorms, and so she went that way. When she eventually arrived, she found Makoto’s door ajar, with light peering through the opening. She could make out Jon mumbling to himself inside.

“I told him not to open his _goddamn_ doors. I told him…”

Kyoko debated with herself whether she should walk in or wait for someone to walk by. She chose the former, and a grisly sight greeted her.

Makoto’s room was in shambles. The room had several slash marks along the walls, and a table was flipped over. The golden scabbard of a sword lay on the ground, with several golden flakes surrounding it. And the most disturbing sight was the blood. There wasn’t much of it, maybe a few drops, but it was still blood. The drops led to the bathroom door where, coincidentally, Jon stood.

If Jon noticed Kyoko in the room, he didn’t show it. Instead, his focus was solely on the bathroom door. Suddenly, Jon began banging on the door.

“Makoto! Open this goddamn door or so help me I will break it down!”

“I doubt you could do that.” Kyoko said.

Jon turned around and narrowed his eyes when he saw Kyoko.

“Watch me, _Suka_.”

Jon turned back around and banged on the door one more time.

“The boy’s bathrooms don’t have locks, why aren’t you trying to open it?” Kyoko said.

“It’s stuck. You think I didn’t try opening it normally?”

Jon looked back at Kyoko once more.

“I didn’t know you thought so little of me.”

Jon turned his attention back to the door, and just before he was about to charge at it, he heard a voice from the other side, barely above a whisper.

“Lift. The door. Up. Then. Push.”

It sounded like the person on the other side was struggling to speak.

Jon did as the voice said, and the door opened without a hitch.

What was on the inside shocked both Jon and Kyoko.

Sitting in the corner of the bathroom, right next to the shower, was Makoto. He appeared to be uninjured at first glance, but one would only need to look around the room to see that that wasn’t the case.

The droplets of blood that began in the room continued in the bathroom, and led to the sink, and diluted spots of blood led to where Makoto was sitting. The sink was tinted red around the drain, suggesting that he tried to wash it off.

Makoto was still breathing, but looked pale, and his eyes drooped.

Jon shouting interrupted Kyoko’s thoughts.

“You fucking _balourd_! What the hell happened here!?”

Jon marched straight to Makoto and picked him up by the lapel of his jacket.

“Who did this!? Who did you let in!?”

Makoto just stared at Jon with a vacant expression, and said nothing.

“Jon, stop.” Kyoko said in a calm voice.

Jon stopped, and looked at Kyoko.

“This _zwakzinnige_ looks like he almost died. Do you know what that means?”

“Yes, and he will die if you keep shaking him. Look at his stomach.”

Jon did so, and saw a hole in Makoto’s clothes, that seemed to be getting redder by the second.

“God Damnit!” Jon swore as he let go of Makoto.

Makoto stood up for a few seconds, then slumped back on the ground.

“Is the nurse’s office open?” asked Jon, panic in his voice.

“No, it’s covered by chains.”

Jon paced around the room, and looked deep in thought.

“…Do any of the girls or guys have sewing experience?”

“I do.” 

“Ok, ok… Go get your sewing kit and get the others, I have an idea.”

“What are you planning to do?”

Jon looked at Kyoko, and he tilted his head slightly.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t exactly have time to write it out for you. Just do what I say for right now please.”

Kyoko stared back at Jon for a few seconds, then nodded her head.

* * *

It didn’t take Kyoko long to get the sewing kit. Gathering everyone took a little longer, but in the end, it was probably only around 10 minutes from when she left Makoto’s room to when she returned with everyone. In that time, Jon laid Makoto out on the bathroom floor, and he had dental floss around his left hand.

When Jon saw Kyoko and the others walk in, he motioned Kyoko toward him.

“Use this dental floss as thread, and stitch his wound, please?”

Kyoko stared at Jon for a few seconds, then took the dental floss. She had to kneel and open Makoto’s jacket to get a good look at the wound.  
It wasn’t big, but it wasn’t a clean cut. It looked like whoever attacked Makoto had a hard time keeping him still. Probably used a kitchen knife. She would have to talk with the others about where they were later.

As Kyoko was stitching up Makoto, she couldn’t help but listen to what was going on as she worked.

“Ok, ok, ok…” repeated Jon. He sounded like he was trying to calm himself down. Kyoko wondered why he acted the way he did earlier. As she listened, she realized maybe Jon would do all the work for her.

* * *

Jon took in several deep breathes, and walked towards the group that had amassed in Makoto’s room.

“I’m going to give the person who attacked Makoto one chance to reveal themselves.” He said emotionlessly.

“Who gave you authority?” Byakuya said.

“Well, seeing as you didn’t volunteer, _Fickfehler_ , I decided to bestow upon myself the title of prosecutor for the next few minutes. So sorry I didn’t ask your permission first.” Said Jon dryly.

“Tch. There you are again with that… what does that mean?”

“What does what mean _Fickfehler_?”

“That title you keep calling me. What does it mean?”

Jon stared at Byakuya for a few moments.

“I called you a fuck error in german Byakuya.” Jon said bluntly.

Byakuya’s eyes widened, and his mouth opened slightly. He then grimaced, and looked everywhere except in Jon’s direction.

“H-how dare y-you!” said Toko, who stood in a corner away from everyone else.

“How dare I.” Jon said like a he was making a statement instead of asking a question.

He stood still for several seconds.

“Anyone?”

Silence.

“Whoever did this is among us. I _will_ find you.”

“You do realize that means you very well could have done this as well?” Celeste said.

“Of course I do, _Salope_. It also means you could have done it too.”

He looked in Celeste’s direction.

“Would you like to confess?”

Celeste scoffed.

“I have no reason to kill Makoto, and I was in my room all night.”

“Crying into your pillow, no doubt.” Said Jon.

Celeste glared at him and raised a clawed finger menacingly.

“Are you done acting smart!?”

“Never.”

Celeste turned her head away from Jon and began twirling her hair in between her fingers.

“I know you didn’t try to kill Makoto anyway.” Said Jon.

“How can you tell that?” asked Hina.

“Like she said, she had no motive. Secondly, she's been inside her room all night.”

"Wait, how did you know she never left her room last night?" Leon asked.

Jon looked at Leon, a smile smile tugging at his lips. "Well, Leon, I'm psychic."

He turned away. Jon looked at everyone for a couple more seconds.

“If no one’s going to come up and confess, then I’ll just have to look around a bit.”

Jon walked amongst the group, glancing around at everyone. His eyes locked on Sayaka’s downcast eyes which still refused to look at anyone.

“Sayaka.”

Sayaka jumped slightly at her name being called.

“Y-yes?” she stuttered.

Jon was not an expert at reading people, but he could tell when someone was acting out of character, and the way Sayaka was acting right now was not her usual attitude. She was usually quite perky, actually. She was acting the way he acted wh-

Jon stopped that though before it continued. He had a job to do.

“Where were you last night?”

It was a simple question, but Sayaka was still silent for a few moments before she said something, and when she did, it was barely above a whisper.

“I-I was in my room…”

Jon’s eyes narrowed.

“Is that so?” Jon got closer. "You know what I hate, Sayaka? _Liars._

Jon was about to say something else, but he was interrupted by Leon.

“Dude, c’mon, lay off her.”

Jon looked at Leon.

“Leon, let me handle this.”  


Jon looked back at Sayaka, and spoke again.

“You know, it’s _very_ impolite to lie.” Jon swore he could hear Celeste snicker behind his back, but he ignored it. Of _course_ she would find that funny.

Sayaka finally looked up at Jon. She looked like she was on the verge of tears.

“Dude, seriously, stop.” Leon interrupted again.

“Leon.” Jon said, his eyes still on Sayaka.

“H-how…” Sayaka murmured.

“Oh, so you _were_ lying.”

Sayaka’s eyes widened in shock.

“Seriously Jon, stop it! You’re being really creepy right now!” Hina said.

Jon looked away from Sayaka, and now glared at Hina.

“And why should I?” he asked rhetorically.

“Someone just tried to _murder_ someone else. And it looks like I’m the only one who is at least trying and find out who.”

Jon looked back at Sayaka.

“Now, I’m going to ask one more time.”

Jon got closer to Sayaka, so that he was looming over her.

“Where were you last night?”

“I-I was…” A tear slipped from Sayaka’s eye.

“Ok, stop, Jon.” Leon said, putting a hand on Jon’s shoulder.

“You’re going a bit fa-“

“I’m going a bit ‘far’?” Jon asked incredulously.

He shoved Leon’s hand off his shoulder and glared at him.

“This _bitch_ most likely tried to kill someone and you’re going to tell m-“

***WHACK***

The next thing Jon knew, he was reeling from a punch.

Leon stood there, looking at Jon with disgust.

Sakura, Mondo, and Taka were moving towards the two boys, obviously preparing to break up the fight

“You were going too far man! You need to calm down!”

Jon put a hand to the cheek Leon just punched. He expected a hit from the Ultimate Baseball Star to hurt a lot more. Was Leon holding back?

Jon stood up straight and stared a Leon. He contemplated whether he should fight back, but he decided against it. Instead, he went for the nice guy route.

“You’re right, Leon.”

Leon looked surprised. Everyone else stared at Jon in surprise too.

Jon walked up to Sayaka, and stretched out his hand.

“I apologize for my behavior. I don’t know what came over me.”

Sayaka looked at Jon incredulously for a few seconds. Then, shakily, she shook his hand. Jon turned back to Leon.

“Sorry about that. Maybe I needed that.”

Leon relaxed.

“Heh. Yeah. You were acting kinda crazy.”

“Are you two done? I think Kyoko’s done stitching…” said Junko, who was standing at the doorway that led into the bathroom.

Everyone crowded around the doorway to the bathroom.

* * *

Makoto opened his eyes slowly. Even though he must have slept, or been unconscious really, for several hours, he still felt exhausted.

The first thing he saw was the face of Kyoko staring back at him. Her lavender eyes stared straight into his.

“Can you move?” she asked.

“Urgh… Give me a few seconds.”

His lower abdomen hurt a lot. When he looked down he remembered why.

The wound was now stitched up, but it still hurt.

Makoto sat up and leaned against the wall.

“Wait… when did you guys get in here?”

“You don’t remember? Jon almost broke down the bathroom door to get to you.”

“He… did?”

“Yes, I did.”

Kyoko and Makoto looked towards the bathroom door, where all of their classmates stood, with Jon a little closer to the door than everyone else.

“Makoto, if you don’t mind, I’d like to ask you a question.”

Makoto glanced away.

“Not this again, Jon. We just talked about this.” Leon moaned.

“I’m only asking.”

Jon walked towards Makoto, and kneeled.

“Who did this to you?”

Makoto didn’t respond. He didn’t want to tell them who did it. It might put that person in unnecessary danger, and divide their group more.

“I already know who it is.” Jon said calmly.

Makoto looked back at Jon in surprise.

“You do?”

“Don’t worry about it though.”

Jon stood back up and walked out of the bathroom, and then left the bedroom entirely.

“Sorry about Jon, Makoto.” Said Leon.

“He’s been acting really weird since yesterday.”

“…”

Makoto said nothing. He really just wanted to sleep.

“He’s exhausted.” Kyoko announced. “Can someone take him to his bed?”

Surprisingly, Junko volunteered. She picked Makoto up gently, and then placed him on his bed.

“We shall discuss this during dinner! Anyone who doesn’t show up for the discussion will be considered a truant!” bellowed Taka.

Everyone left Makoto’s room, and Makoto got some much needed rest.

* * *

Jon ambushed Sayaka in the kitchen. Ambush isn’t the word Jon would use to describe confronting someone alone, but to everyone else, that what it would look like.  
Sayaka was just cleaning up after making herself a small lunch when Jon walked in.

The room became tense even before Jon spoke. Sayaka didn’t move, her eyes were glued to the countertop, facing away from Jon.

“I know you did it.”

Sayaka whipped her head around and stared a Jon.

“I told you I was-“

“Don’t give me that _bullshit_.”

Jon got closer.

“There’s just two things I don’t understand.”

He paused.

“How and Why?”

Sayaka looked down.

“I-It was an accident…”

“The room begs to differ.”

“It really was!”

“How was it an accident? Nothing in that room suggests it was an accident. I’m losing my patience. You _don't_ want to know what happens when it completely dries up.”

“It was an accident! Makoto saw I was holding a knife, and he panicked…”

“And so you tried to murder him?”

“I-I didn’t want to…”

“You obviously didn’t get very far. You stopped after you sliced his stomach, didn’t you?”

Sayaka nodded.

“One more thing I don’t understand. Why?”

“…It’s really complicated…” she murmured.

“Let me guess, it was those videos?” Jon said.

Sayaka nodded.

“That seems like a pretty poor motive if you ask me. You almost murdered someone over a video.”

“You’re one to talk!” she countered. “You’re the one who threw a chair and almost got in a fight with Leon! I thought you were going to kill someone!”

“And yet I didn’t!” he yelled. “I have done _nothing_ but try and keep everyone alive and you almost fucking killed someone! You could have sparked a chain of events that would have led to everyone’s downfall! Everyone could have _died_ because of _you_!”

Sayaka became quiet.

Jon glared at her. If she had the audacity to try and derail the conversation, he was going to give her a taste of her own medicine.

“I’m not going to rat you out.” Jon mumbled.

“W-what?”

“Take responsibility for your actions. Tell everyone what you did so they don’t have to go on a wild goose chase.” Said Jon, and he left for the door.  
He looked back at Sayaka one last time.

“I’d pray to whatever god you believe in that everyone, especially Makoto, will forgive you.

Jon left the room.


	6. Explanations and Confessions

Makoto was still somewhat drowsy when he entered the cafeteria. Everyone else was already there, which made him feel slightly embarrassed when fifteen people all stared at him when he entered. Even though he was late, however, Taka didn’t give him an earful, and instead just stood at the head of the table silently as Makoto took a seat at his usual spot next to Kyoko. Makoto took this time to look around at everyone in the room.

As aforementioned, Taka was standing at the head of the table, and it looked like he was about to begin speaking. Mondo and Chihiro sat next to each other nearest to Taka, and they were silently chatting between themselves. Celeste and Hifumi sat together at a different table, with Hifumi holding a plate in his hands and Celeste drinking some sort of tea. Hina, Sakura, and Hiro sat near the middle of the main table, and they were completely silent. Byakuya and Toko stood at a separate table to everyone else, completely silent as well. Jon, Leon, and Junko were seated closest to the end of the table, Leon was paying attention to something Junko was saying, while Jon was giving a death glare to Sayaka, who was seated away from everyone else at a table by herself.

Makoto gulped. Jon had been acting strange for the past day or so. It wasn’t just the fact that he had apparently visited him and Leon last night to give them ‘advice’, but he was hellbent on finding out who had attacked him last night. And by the way he was glaring daggers at Sayaka, he had apparently found out who did it.

Just like he said he did.

The booming voice of Taka drowned out Makoto’s thoughts.

“The investigation into Makoto’s attacker has begun!”

“If we’re lucky,” Jon said. “they will reveal themselves to us.”

Jon continued to glare at Sayaka, who still had her head down.

“What do you mean by that, Jon?” Sakura asked.

“I mean, the attacker is in this room among us.” He clarified. “and we may be merciful if they decide to reveal themselves instead of us having to find them.”

“Who says we would be merciful?” Celeste said, who twirled a strand of hair as she did so. “They attempted murder, why should show mercy to those who would commit such a sin?”

“If we want to stay as a group, then we’d better be merciful.” Jon said.

“What you propose is absolutely ludicrous. Anyone who attempts murder should be rightfully punished.” Byakuya said.

“And what would the punishment be, Fickfehler? What ingenious punishment have you decided to bestow on such a worm?” 

“Well, first of all, stop calling me that-“

“Make me.”

“-and someone should guard them, obviously.” 

“Yes, so they have an easier target to murder. Though I will go with your suggestion.”

Jon faced Taka.

“The Attacker will have an assigned bodyguard for the near future.”

Taka nodded, and shouted. “All those in favor?”

Nine out of the sixteen students in the room raised their hands, Kyoko and Makoto found themselves amongst them.

“Alright! Now that we have the punishment in order, we should now deduce who it was that attacked Makoto, since he has chosen not to reveal them!”

Everyone looked at Makoto, which made him to shrink into his seat.

“As I said before.” Jon said. “the Attacker should reveal themselves.”

Jon still stared at Sayaka, who was gripping the sides of her seat.

“I agree, Jon! But until they choose to do so, we should try to the best of our abilities to find out who did it!” Taka shouted.

“I believe the attacker may be Jon.” Celeste said with a smile. “After all, Leon has said that Jon visited him last night, he may very well have done the same with Makoto.”

“If I wanted to kill Makoto, why would I essentially lead you all to him? Wouldn’t it have made more sense for me to just let him bleed out on the floor of his bathroom instead of drawing attention to it?”

Jon briefly glanced at Celeste.

“Better luck next time, _Salope_.”

“I see.” Celeste replied calmly, then she was silent.

“Well, me and Sakura were in the same room last night!” Hina said, “We both can vouch for each other!”

“What!?” Taka shouted. “A man and a woman sharing the same room!? I demand to know why you thought that was acceptable!”

The room went silent.

“I am a woman.” Sakura said stoically.

“Oh… oh. My sincerest apologies!” Taka sputtered.

Jon still stared into Sayaka’s soul, the latter of which’s legs were now underneath the seat, and she was curling her lips in a sneer, with her blue bangs covering her eyes.

“This would all be easier if Makoto would just say who attacked him!” Hiro shouted.

“Perhaps he does not remember?” Celeste said..

“How would he not remember? It happened just last night.” Byakuya countered.

“M-maybe he w-wasn’t attacked a-at all!” Toko said. “He c-could have t-tried to kill h-himself!”

“Don’t be ridiculous. The condition of his room implies that he was attacked.”

“If I recall, the door was also wide open when we arrived.” Sakura said. “Jon was the first one to enter. Was Makoto’s door open, Jon?”

Jon still looked like he was trying to bore holes into Sayaka’s body with his eyes, when he replied without a hint of emotion. “If his door was closed, I wouldn’t have been able to get in at all.”

Sayaka, a contrast to the way she looked just a few moments before, now looked completely calm, and held her head level.

“The attacker will reveal themselves.” Jon repeated. “It looks like I was right.”

Sayaka stood up. “I… have something I want to say.”

“Of course, Sayaka! What will you add to the discussion?” Taka said.

“I did it.” She said.

The room became deathly quiet.

Jon finally took his eyes off Sayaka, and nodded his head. Makoto put his head in his hands, unable to look anyone in the eye.

“How unexpected.” Celeste gasped.

“Why… why would you?” Leon whispered.

“My video showed my bandmates on a stage unconscious. They are practically my family.” Sayaka said in a monotone voice. It’s almost like she rehearsed it.

“I can’t say everything about why – it’s too personal – but I am more sorry than you can ever believe.” A single tear went down her face, and she looked down at Makoto as she said the last part of the sentence.

“Can you go over what happened?” asked Kyoko. She’d be lying to herself if she wasn’t curious, so might as well ask.

Sayaka remained still, and told what had transpired between her and Makoto the previous night.

* * *

_Sayaka looked down to where Makoto’s eyes were looking, and she gasped. The hand that held the knife she took from the kitchen was completely visible. She could have sworn it was in her pocket just a moment before. Maybe, in her nervousness, she had taken it out? It didn’t matter now, and since Makoto had seen it…_

_Sayaka looked up to see that Makoto was slowly backing away from the door, and he had foolishly left it open._

_Sayaka looked at the knife in her hand, and then in Makoto’s direction. There was no way her plan was going to work anymore, no one else trusted her as much as Makoto does, and since he saw the knife, he was sure to tell everyone about it._

_She tried her best to see someone else instead of Makoto, and charged into the room, knife in hand._

_Makoto reacted faster than she anticipated, and rolled to the side of where Sayaka was about to stab him. Unfortunately, or fortunately, really, he bumped into a table, which was knocked over, and the fake sword he had picked up with Sayaka a day ago fell in front of him._

_He picked it up, and used it to block several swipes from Sayaka, who tried her best to not look at Makoto’s face. She had almost convinced herself that it wasn’t Makoto that she was trying to kill, but someone else, a stranger who she doesn’t know. That changed when she heard a sickening slicing sound and a yell._

_Without even noticing it, she had stabbed Makoto with the knife. It was not deep, and only small fraction of the knife actually pierced his skin, but it was enough to knock Sayaka out of her trance, and to let go of the knife._

_The knife fell to the floor with a sharp ‘clink’ sound, and several droplets of blood followed it. Sayaka looked up in horror when she saw Makoto, clutching his side with his hair covering his eyes, stumble towards the bathroom._

_“Wait!” she yelled, but it was too late. Makoto had slammed the bathroom door before she could say anything._

_Sayaka ran towards the door, but it wouldn’t budge, not even when she slammed into it._

_She wouldn’t be able to get into the door no matter how hard she tried. Sayaka considered getting the toolbox all boys got, but decided against it. She picked up the knife that she had used, and walked towards her room for the rest of the night._

* * *

As Sayaka told her story, Makoto looked at her with nothing but concern. Truth be told, he was not mad at her. He knew she would never do something like this unless she felt she absolutely had too. In the end, it all went back to the mastermind. He was the one making Sayaka do these things, not Sayaka herself.

Jon looked at Sayaka, but he wasn’t glaring at her this time. Instead, it almost looked like he was looking at her with something almost akin to respect.

Makoto then said something no one had expected.

“I forgive you, Sayaka.”

Sayaka stared at Makoto, surprise etched into her features.

“H-how can you…?”

Makoto shook his head.

“You would never have done something like this normally. You were manipulated by the mastermind into doing this. It wasn’t your fault.”

Everyone looked at Makoto with a look of surprise and wonder. Even Kyoko gave Makoto a sideways glance that conveyed her surprise at his words.

“You should be a public speaker. That was inspirational.” Jon said.

“T-thanks, I guess.”

The room fell into a comfortable silence, until Byakuya spoke up.

“Well then, what should we do with her?”

“We already came up with a ‘punishment’.” Jon said. “Only thing to do now is to find out who would be willing to follow her around for the next few days.”

“Are you guys seriously just going to punish her like that!?” Hina yelled.

“Considering the circumstances, it would be beneficial for everyone in this room if we got this done as quickly as possible.” Jon explained. “Besides, I’m sure everyone is exhausted?”

A few mumbles resounded through the cafeteria, and Hina calmed down.

Makoto was going to volunteer to guard Sayaka, and he wouldn’t back down no matter what anyone else said, but he was beat to it by a certain red head.

“I’ll do it.” Leon said.

“That was easy.” Jon commented.

Leon ignored Jon, and instead walked up to Sayaka.

“Don’t worry, I won’t let you hurt anyone!” he joked.

Sayaka scowled, and Leon realized he must have made a mistake.

“I-I didn’t mean-“ 

Sayaka turned around and made her way to the exit.

“Try not to fall behind.” She said coldly.

Everyone left soon after.

* * *

As soon as Jon entered his room, he sighed in relief.

Today was absolutely exhausting for him. What with the motives yesterday still preying on his mind, and the deal he’d made with Monokuma, and Makoto almost getting murdered, he certainly had just cause to be this tired.

He walked across the room and laid down on his bed. Hopefully, it will take the mastermind a little while to create a new motive, and he could take that time to get everyone to come together a little more. His relationship with Sayaka has certainly taken a dent, but what was he supposed to do? Allow her to just get off with attempted murder? No, he was doing the right thing.

At least he thought he was.

If he went off from the way Leon punched him, then he obviously went too far, right? If he could explain to them why he had to be so… ‘forceful’, and why he wanted everyone to get through this, then maybe…

No. They would probably cast him out, or, even worse, one of them would murder him. He could not allow that to happen. He had too much at stake. He clutched at his chest. Jon remembered the last time he trusted someone with personal information.

“ _Ya done fucked up, Jon._ ”

Jon’s sat up so fast that he nearly fell out of his bed. He looked around wildly for the source of the disturbingly familiar voice. It had been so long, it’s not possible…

Jon shook his head. Obviously he was hallucinating, a consequence of his lack of sleep. His insomnia had spiked the last few days, and he nearly stayed awake all night the previous night. Maybe he should put this insomnia to use. But until then…

Jon tried to get to sleep, but his mind was as restless as it always was, perhaps even more so then before Monokuma’s visit.

* * *

Makoto arrived at the cafeteria at the usual time. His stitches still hurt slightly, but not nearly as much as it did yesterday. When he entered the cafeteria, everyone was there. Even Toko and Byakuya were there, albeit, away from everyone else just like a day ago, but it was a start. Leon and Sayaka sat together, with Leon trying to talk to Sayaka, emphasis on the ‘trying’. Jon was talking to Mondo and Chihiro about something, with Taka overseeing the conversation from his usual spot. As far as Makoto could tell, everyone was in a better mood compared to yesterday.

Makoto sat next to Kyoko like he always did, and said something he’d been meaning to ever since yesterday.

“Thank you for yesterday.”

Kyoko remained emotionless, but Makoto could see the faintest of smiles on her face.

“You’re welcome. Don’t make it a habit.”

“I’ll try not to.” He said jokingly.

Kyoko was about to say something else, but she was interrupted by the screen in the cafeteria suddenly switching on.

“I have an announcement to make!” shouted the high-pitched voice of Monokuma.

“I am extremely disappointed in you! Make your way to the gym, on the double!”

The screen then cut out as fast as it had been cut on.

“God _damnit_.”

“Language!”

Jon sighed and got up from his seat.

“Let’s get this over with.”

“Why should we even follow Monokuma’s orders?” Mondo questioned.

“Nonsense! It is imperative that we follow every order that he gives us lest he punishes us!” Taka answered.

“You don’t have to shout!” said Mondo. “We can hear you just fine!”

Everyone slowly got up from their seats and exited the cafeteria.


	7. Cain and Abel

Makoto entered the gym last, just like last time. Everyone were already gathered near the podium that Monokuma would no doubt pop up from any second.  
Makoto was proven right several seconds later.

Monokuma jumped up from some unknown hidden passage beneath the podium and sat on top of it.

“Unbelievable! Absolutely Un- _fricking_ -believable!”

Monokuma scanned the group of students below him, and his red eye glowed menacingly.

“I can’t believe that my motive didn’t work! I was so certain that it would happen when that Pop Idol attacked the Luckster! GRAAAHHHHH!”

Monokuma slammed his fists/paws on the podium in frustration.

“Have you summoned us here just to shout, or do you actually have something meaningful to say?” Byakuya said.

“Of course I do! I’m just so RRRRRRRRGRAAAHHHHH! It’s all your fault!” Monokuma pointed a claw at Jon, who looked genuinely taken aback.

“What are you talking about?”

“If you hadn’t given Makoto that ‘advice’, then that Idol over there would have gone stabby stabby on the hope-magnet! Or something even better! But _nooooooooooo_ , you just couldn’t leave well enough alone could you!?”

“But you-“ Jon began, but he was cut off.

“ _SILENCE!_ I didn’t invite you all here just so you could hear me argue with the freak! It’s time for your next motive!”

Monokuma flicked his wrist.

“This time I’ve gone for the baser instincts. If you successfully murder someone, this will be waiting for you…”

And as he said it, piles of money began falling from the ceiling on to the podium in large stacks.

“Cash-dollar-money! _CHA-CHIIING!_ Ten million dollars all for you! Next person to off another gets all this _mulla_ and one hell of a graduation!”

…

…

…

“…Seriously?”

Everyone turned to Celeste.

“I must admit, Monokuma. I’ve been caught off guard. I never thought you would stoop so low.”

“The real victim here was Monokuma’s creativity, honestly.” Jon agreed.

“What a disappointment.” Byakuya sighed.

Byakuya made his way to the door, and everyone else began to follow.

“Offer still stands, everyone!” Monokuma shouted after them, as he seemingly disappeared below the ground.

* * *

Makoto pushed Jon’s doorbell. He couldn’t find him anywhere else in the building, and so he was in front of Jon’s door, clutching a piece of paper, waiting for a response. The door opened several seconds later to reveal a very tired looking Jon. Dark circles surrounded his eyes and his clothes looked crinkled.

“Do you need something, or did you just want admire my handsome face?”

“Oh, uh, yeah, I need to ask you something.”

Jon leaned against the door frame.

“Go ahead, ask away.”

Makoto raised a piece of paper.

“I asked you already, but I still don’t really know what it means…”

“Is that the note I gave you a few days ago?”

“Yeah, sorry if I’m annoying you by asking again.”

“I already told you what it means, exactly as it says.”

“I’m confused still, I mean, is it actually a phrase that will do what you said it will?”

Jon smirked.

“Only one way to find out.”

“B-but-“

“Say it, Makoto.”

“Ok, I’m sorry, uh, ‘You can’t trust anyone, Makoto’.”

Jon’s smirk instantly faded away, and he stood straight.

“Access granted, input comm- I can’t _fucking_ do this…”

Jon laughed a little and then went back to his leaning position.

“Are you surprised?”

Makoto looked at Jon wide eyed.

“N-nothing happened?”

“Did you honestly think it would?”

Jon facepalmed.

“You are way too trusting, Makoto, that’s what I was trying to tell you.”

“Is that what all of this meant?”

“I was just making an example at first, but considering m- I mean, our current predicament, it’s more of a lesson. I don’t like lying to people, I _despise_ it in fact, but you need to stop being so trusting, Makoto, it can and will get you killed.”

“…Why would you think that?”

Jon paused, and leaned towards Makoto.

“…What?”

“There has to be a reason you think that. Did… something happen?”

Jon stared blankly at Makoto for several moments, until he chuckled. The chuckle almost felt forced, though.

“A story for another day, when I’m in the mood. Anything else?”

“I’m sorry for asking this, but it’s also kinda making me a bit curious…”

“Alright, as long as it’s the last thing you want.”

“What was on that video?”

All of a sudden, Jon seemed to tense up, and his hand raised instinctively to the door.

“… No. Not today Makoto.”

“I-I shouldn’t have asked that, sorry. I guess I’ll leave you alone.”

Jon sighed, and grabbed Makoto’s arm.

“No… no I should be apologizing. I guess I’ll tell you, it could do me or you no harm.”'

Makoto turned around and listened attentively. Jon wringed his wrists nervously, and looked around.

“It… was my uncle, ok? I don’t like talking about him, especially with other people.”

Makoto smiled. “Thank you for telling me, Jon.”

Jon put a hand behind his head. “Don’t mention it. See you later.”

Jon hurried back into his room and closed the door gently.

Makoto walked down the hallway. He absent-mindedly thought of his conversation with Jon. Jon claimed that Makoto shouldn’t be so trusting, and yet he told him about his uncle, so that means that Jon trusts him at least a little bit, right?

* * *

Makoto walked into the cafeteria as always, and noticed something strange.

Hifumi, Celeste, Mondo, and Jon were all absent from the cafeteria, and everyone else seemed a little tense because of it.

“Where are they?” Hina asked, who was standing up near the door with Sakura.

“We should look for them.” Sakura answered. “They could be in danger.”

“I could help look too, if you want.”

Sakura smiled. “All help is appreciated.”

“I’ll go look for them on my own.” Said Kyoko, before she walked off into the hallway beyond the cafeteria.

“I guess I’ll look around on the first floor a bit…”

Makoto walked out into the hallway, and walked around looking for signs of where the four missing people could be. He eventually found himself in the baths, but it was very dark. The place also looked like a mess. He looked around for a light switch, feeling along the walls for them. He eventually found them, and switched them on.

**A body has been discovered!**


	8. The Unfortunate Otaku

Makoto barely registered the Body Discovery Announcement, or so it was called. His eyes were glued to the horrid sight that laid before him. The baths were completely ransacked. Benches were flipped over haphazardly, several lockers were either smashed or taken off completely, and then there was the body near the end of the room.

There, lying slumped against a wall, was the bloated body of Hifumi Yamada.

Hifumi's face was covered in red and blue bruises, all varying in size. His neck also had it's own set of bruises, significantly deeper ones then were on the face. His right eye was blackened and forced shut, while the other gazed into nothingness. His clothes were crinkled and torn in some areas, with a small amount of blood dripping on to one side. His glasses lay broken broken before him. And, to top it all off, a small gash that oozed blood was on the side of the neck, just out of reach of the bruises.

Makoto was so shocked by the body that he didn't even realize that there were people standing in the doorway, and he jumped when he heard one of them shout.

"God _damnit_!" 

Makoto turned to the doorway, and saw Jon and Mondo standing side by side in the doorway. Jon was only there for a second though, before Makoto saw him, run towards Hifumi's side.

"Damnit, _damnit, DAMNIT_!" he shouted.

Jon kicked a bench that was already flipped over, and then he knelt by Hifumi's body once more. Makoto saw Jon fiddle with something, and then stand up. Jon walked towards the doorway, where Mondo was still standing, and whispered something in his ear. He then turned to Makoto.

"We're supposed to go to the gym," he said. "are you coming?"

Makoto nodded. Jon sighed, looked up at Mondo, and walked away with Mondo following him.

Makoto looked back at the destroyed bathroom, and then went to follow them.

* * *

To say Jon was mad would be an understatement. He was absolutely _livid_. If only he had gone _inside_ the baths instead of just patrolling the halls then maybe they wouldn't be in this situation.

He had arrived to the gym second to last. He went inside after Mondo, and Makoto had followed him soon after. Everyone now stood in the gym, in the almost the same exact position that they always did, and Jon was annoyed by this fact. They wouldn't have to be here at all if it wasn't for his stupidity.

Monokuma rose on the podium at the end of the gym, like always, and began spouting out pointless gibberish.

" _Ooooooooh_! Looks like my motive finally got to one of you this time! I am so despair-filled I could almost burst!" Monokuma hugged himself, and 'sweat', began coming off his body. Jon was disgusted.

"Now, here's what you guys are going to do!" Monokuma began. "After a certain amount of time has passed after finding a body, you know, after you're done playing detective, a class trial will be held! There, you will have to find out who killed your classmate, and if you do, they will be _punished_!"

Jon waited for the 'But'.

" _Buuuuuuuuut..._

Called it.

"If you don't find the 'blackened', then I will punish everyone besides them! And they will graduate from this academy with top honors!" Monokuma all but squealed.

Jon felt the sudden urge to stomp on puppies and kittens. He suppressed his anger, it would not be useful at a time like this anyway-

"This is so stupid!" Junko yelled.

Or maybe it would be. He hoped, _hoped_ , that Junko wasn't as stupid as he thought she was and she wouldn't go attack the mechanical bear with the capacity to kill everyone standing in the gym.

"Oh, what's this? An _Objection_?" Monokuma slammed his paws on the podium. "I am the headmaster! You will do what I say, _airhead_!"

Jon couldn't believe he was agreeing with Monokuma of all people, but then again, he has-

"I don't want to be a part of this stupid trial! I just want to get out of here!" Junko shouted back at Monokuma.

 _Shut the fuck up, Puta!_ , Jon screamed in his head as he watched Junko walk closer and closer to Monokuma's podium.

"Oh, you don't want to be a part of the _scaaaaawwy_ class trial, do ya? Well, tough luck, that's how it is!" Monokuma jumped down from the podium and waddled over towards Junko.

"What are ya going to do about it, _Junko_? Gonna hit me?" Jon did not like the way Monokuma was talking at that moment.

"If it means I don't have to do any of this, then _yes_!" Junko lunged towards Monokuma.

" _Junko_! What the _hell_ do you think you're doing!?"

Jon was surprised by the volume of his own voice, but he went with it.

Junko stood still, still poised to seemingly kick Monokuma to the ground, too close for Jon's comfort. If these _kasniti_ didn't develop any sense, then he would force feed them some.

"Do you realize what you are doing!? If you hit that bear, you will fucking _die_! Do you want to die today Junko!? You know, you could always ask for some rope, you don't have to kill yourself this way!" Jon didn't even really know what he was saying anymore, all he knew was that he need to get Junko to back off lest she become one with the earth.

Junko looked at Jon, stunned. She turned her head around to look at Monokuma. Her expression seemed to be an almost questioning gaze, a far cry from her supposed anger just a few moments before.

Monokuma tilted his head. "Huh, the freak is smarter than you, airhead. I'd do as he says!"

Junko's eyes widened in surprise, but she obediently walked back towards the crowd with her head down.

It took everything in Jon's power not to march over to her and give Junko the verbal beatdown of her life. But he successfully resisted it, it would put too much of the spotlight on him and what he was doing.

Monokuma sauntered back to his podium. "Now, since that's over with, you guys should begin your investigation! The class trial should begin in..." Monokuma looked at his wrist comically, then jumped. "Oh my, look at that! You better hurry! Wouldn't want to be _late_!

Monokuma fell backwards, and disappeared below the floor like he always does.

Jon was still angry, possibly even angrier then before. When he finds out who the culprit was, he would utterly defeat them, he owed it to everyone still in the school, and to his uncle.

Celestia spoke up, and said something Jon was waiting for.

"Let's find Hifumi's killer..." she said somberly.

"Yes," he replied. "Let's."

* * *

Makoto walked back into the baths to see the familiar sight of the destroyed baths greet him. Nothing had changed since he had left, not that he expecting it too. He had entered with at least 4 other people. Mondo and Sakura were standing guard over the crime scene, Kyoko was looking around the room, and Jon was standing around idly. The others were looking everywhere else. 

Makoto was about to start 'investigating', when Monokuma suddenly appeared, with a black tablet in his hands.

"I was so distracted, I forgot to give you this!" Monokuma threw the device at Makoto, and he was just barely able to grab it. "That's the Monokuma file! It'll tell ya everything about the corpse, the injuries, and even the ToD (sometimes), use it to your hearts content! Toodles!"

Monokuma disappeared. Makoto turned on the tablet, which briefly showed a flashing screen, then cut to a diagram of the body a long with some basic information.

**Victim: Hifumi Yamada**

**ToD: Approximately thirty minutes after midnight.**

**The body has multiple bruises along the facial and neck, however, the facial bruises weren't fatal. The body has one small laceration on the left side of the neck.**

"interesting..." Makoto jumped when he heard a voice behind him, he turned around to see Kyoko. She had been reading the Monokuma file over his shoulder.

"W-what's interesting?" he stuttered.

"If you look at the file, the cause of death appears to be strangulation. It only said the facial bruises weren't fatal. Don't you agree, Makoto?" she said.

Makoto looked back at the Monokuma file, then back at Kyoko. "It definitely looks like it." he replied.

The two were interrupted by Celeste suddenly coming into the room and walking towards them.

"I have something here that might help with the investigation." she handed Makoto a note. "I found this in Hifumi's room."

"You were able to get in Hifumi's room?" Kyoko questioned.

"I asked Monokuma for the key, and since it might help with the investigation, he gave it to me." Celeste elaborated.

Makoto thanked Celeste, and she walked out of the baths. He looked down at the note, and read it.

" _Hifumi, there is something I need to talk to you about. Meet me at the baths at midnight. -Mondo._ "

"I would advise that you don't come to conclusions too quickly based on one note, Makoto." Kyoko said. "Note's can be easily forged."

"Yeah, I guess I'll look around a bit more.." The two parted ways.

Makoto decided to asked the two others in the room with them. He talked to Mondo first, because Makoto wanted to ask him about the note. 

Mondo seemed a lot more nervous then usual, though he seemed to calm down a bit when Makoto came closer.

"Hey, Mondo?" Makoto said. "I have a note that says you invited Hifumi here. Did you?"

Mondo looked around, and then spoke.

"I was here, yeah, but me and Hifumi just talked, alright? Nothin' else."

Makoto wanted to ask more, but he had a feeling that Mondo wouldn't say anything else. He walked towards Jon, who seemed to be the epitome of calm.

“Are you going to ask me what I was doing last night?” Jon asked

“Y-yeah, how did you know?”

“Because you literally just asked Mondo the same question.”

Jon looked around a bit, and then returned his attention to Makoto.

“I’m not going to tell you everything, I’ll wait until the trial to do that, but I will tell you one thing. I patrolled the hallways from about 11:30 to 1:00.”

“Wh-why would you do that?”

Jon smirked.

“Like I said, all will be revealed when we get to the trial. We _will_ find out who killed Hifumi, you have my word.”

Jon walked away and left the baths afterwards. Leaving Makoto somewhat confused. He decided to talk with Kyoko one last time.

“Have you noticed something, Makoto?”

“What? Did you find something?”

“No, but it may be interesting nonetheless.”

Kyoko walked to the body of Hifumi and kneeled.

“Do you see his hand? It looks like it was grabbing something.”

“What do you think he was grabbing?”

**Attention everyone! The Class Trial is about to begin! Head towards the elevators immediately!**

Kyoko got back up.

“I have a feeling we will find out when the trial starts.”

-<>-

Within ten minutes everyone was in the room leading to the elevator. The tension was thick in the air and those who weren’t at the crime scene seemed to look at everyone in the room with distrust. The weirdest thing was that Jon was still standing next to Mondo, and they would occasionally speak in each other’s ear. They had never talked with each other before, let alone share information without anyone else hearing.

“ _Oooooooooooooo_! I’m tingling with anticipation! The first Class trial is about to begin!” Monokuma squealed.

“I don’t think it will be very long.” Jon said.

“Is that confidence I hear in your voice? Are you… hiding something?” Monokuma chided.

“Well whatever! Get on the elevator, ya brats!”

One by one the students entered the elevator. Once everyone was on, it began it’s slow and silent descent.

Makoto looked around at his classmates, his friends, and reflected on the fact that one of them would not be coming back up. The ride on the elevator felt like an eternity to Makoto. 

-<>-

“Welcome to the Trial Room everyone!” Monokuma gestured dramatically to the seventeen podiums in a circle in the middle of a bland room.

“…Why are there seventeen seats?” Kyoko asked.

“That’s in case I accidentally grabbed seventeen of you instead of sixteen! Just don’t worry about it!”

Everyone picked a spot, and the Class Trial began.


	9. A Polite Shouting Contest

14 of his classmates took their stands. Makoto was hesitant to walk up to his at first. The whole situation felt incredibly surreal to him, like a dream, almost like he wasn't even there. Makoto regained his nerve, and walked up to his stand. Everyone else looked towards the throne that was on the other side of the room, and they watched as Monokuma waddled his way towards it, and sat down.

"Now, since everyone is here, let me give you a basic explanation of the Class Trial! Basically, if you don't find out who killed Hifumi Yamada, with the evidence that you have obtained from your investigation, then I'll punish everyone besides the blackened! But if you guess correctly, I'll punish the blackened with a desparingly fitting execution! Now with that out of the way, let the first Class Trial **BEGIN!**

Makoto spoke without even realizing it. "So, the killer really is one of us, huh?"

Monokuma looked at Makoto as if he'd just said that water is wet. "Of course! Did you think that I did it? If so, you're wasting your time! One of you killed Hifumi Yamada, and that is completely true!"

Kyoko looked to Monokuma, and asked a question that had been on everyone's mind since they had been led to the trial room.

"Before we start, can I ask you a question real quick?" Kyoko pointed towards a stand that had nothing except a portrait of the late Hifumi Yamada, but his picture was disfigured by two blood-colored lines that formed an X. "What is... that, doing here?"

"Ah well, I'd feel awfully bad if your late classmate didn't get to be here just because of a small case of death! So, I decided to put a picture of their face so that they may be here with us in spirit!" Monokuma clarified.

"I see." Kyoko murmured, who the took her signature position with her hand up to her chin.

"That's unnecessarily morbid, can we get rid of it? I think it's staring at me..." Jon said. he was standing across from the picture of Hifumi and was avoiding eye contact with the photo.

"Absolutely not! I wouldn't _dare_ leave one of you out of this! Anyways, that's not what you guys are here for! Start debating already!

Makoto decided to start the discussion.

"Ok, so, should we start with where the body was found?"

"The body was found in the baths." Sakura replied. "If I recall, the baths were completely ransacked."

"Yeah, I noticed that too." Leon agreed. "The place was turned upside down. Some lockers were opened randomly and the benches were flipped over."

"But, there is one problem with the crime scene." Jon said. "Does anyone notice it?"

Makoto thought about what Jon was insinuating. He remembered the condition of the baths, and the way the body had very little damage surrounding it.

"...The body didn't have any damage of the baths surrounding, or near it. It looks haphazard."

Jon nodded in agreement. "Yes, if what I think happened, happened, then why would the destruction be everywhere around the body, instead of centering on it? It looks like someone tried to make it look like a serious fight happened in there."

"What are you saying, Jon?" Celeste questioned, resting her head on her folded fingers.

"I'm saying that the destruction to the baths was done after Hifumi died. And I think it would have been used to frame a certain somebody."

Jon stared in Mondo's direction.

"Care to explain, Mondo?"

Mondo looked like he had been slapped.

"Wh-Why would I have anything to do with this!?"

"Let's not worry about that right now." Jon said, in a somewhat nonchalant tone. "For now, let's focus on something else, like the condition of the corpse."

Makoto decided to ignore the insidious glint in Jon's eye as someone else spoke.

"The corpse had a lot of bruises and had a slash on the side of the neck." Makoto announced. "The Monokuma file doesn't say what caused his death..."

"I think I have an answer for the bruises." Jon said, as he continued to stare at Mondo.

"Why do ya keep staring at me?" Mondo asked.

"Because," Jon said, "I found you outside of the bathroom at around a quarter past midnight."

Makoto already knew that Jon had patrolled the hallways from eleven until around one, so he wasn't as surprised as everyone else was. But it was still a shock to hear Jon say it so carelessly, as if he was saying something that was common knowledge.

"May I ask why you were outside at such a late hour?" Kyoko asked.

"I was patrolling the hallways for some time last night." Jon explained. "I wanted to prevent a murder from happening. Although, as everyone can guess, I was horribly unsuccessful..." Jon looked down, and Makoto thought he saw genuine sadness in his eyes. But Jon quickly looked back up at everyone.

"Why on earth would you do something like that?" Byakuya demanded. He was glaring at Jon.

"Yes, you realize this makes look like a suspect too, do you not?" Celeste said .

Jon looked at them, and smirked slightly.

"Whatever. You didn't let me finish anyway." Jon interrupted them. "I saw Mondo come out of the baths at around a quarter past midnight. He looked like he had seen a ghost."

Makoto realized something, and pulled the note that Celeste had given him earlier out of his pocket.

"Hey, Mondo?" Mondo looked at Makoto quizzically. "I have a note right here. And it says that you invited Hifumi to the baths to talk with him..."

Mondo put his hands in the air, and began to wave them around violently. "No! I never wrote a note! And I never went to the bathroom!" He pointed and accusing finger at Jon. "That assholes a liar!"

"Language, Mondo! Despite what has come to light, we must keep level heads!" Taka shouted.

"My, my Mondo, it seems Makoto and Jon have trapped in you in a pitfall..." Celeste giggled.

"Mondo..." Makoto began. "You told me earlier that you went to the baths to talk with Hifumi, and now you're saying you didn't?"

Mondo looked wildly around the room, and tried to defend himself, but all that came out was a jumbled mess.

"I-I never s-said that!" he yelled.

"I believe we have our culprit." Celeste said calmly. "I believe we are ready to vote, Monokuma."

"Oh, are you!?" Monokuma jumped and stood atop his throne. "Finally! I was starting to get bored! Now, all you have to do-"

"I don't think we're done yet."

Makoto and everyone else in the room turned to the source of the noise. It was Jon.

"Must you interrupt me!? I was just about to explain how to-" Monokuma was cut off again.

"We haven't found the blackened. Not yet." Jon said in a monotone, almost mocking voice.

"Oh? But it is quite clear that Mondo is the true culprit here. You and Makoto have supplied substantial evidence for that."

"You people have, once again, not let me finish." Jon said cryptically.

"You have been hiding something this entire time." stated Kyoko, and Makoto noted that while her face had remained completely stoic, he could hear a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"I wouldn't say hide. More like I just didn't mention it until now." Jon said.

"Well, this may just prove interesting. Please, do go on." Byakuya commented.

"I found this note on the corpse." Jon elaborated. "It's a note to Hifumi, from a certain Yasuhiro." Jon pulled out a slightly crinkled note as Hiro tried to defend himself.

"Wait! I never wrote a-" before Hiro could continue, Jon interrupted him.

"Hiro, can you write your name down on a piece of paper please?" Jon handed a piece of paper and a pencil to Hiro, and he began to hastily write his name down.

"Here, I'm not sure how this will help m- I mean us, out..."

"Oh trust me, it will." Jon smirked. "Also, I should mention something else while I do this."

Jon stood up straight and looked at Mondo. "Mondo isn't the killer."

"Even with that note," Celeste said. "Mondo is still the most likely culprit. Your testimony and Makoto's letter prove that."

Jon looked at Celeste, and chuckled. "Mondo didn't have any blood on his hands when I saw him come out of the baths. And I even talked with the guy." He gestured toward Mondo. "Hell, I even stayed with him the rest of the night just to make sure."

"When were you going to say this?" Kyoko asked, her frustration was evident in her voice.

"I planned on saying it much later, but this went by faster then I thought it would." Jon said.

"Mondo, is that true?" Makoto questioned. He didn't like the way this trial was going.

Mondo looked down and sighed. "Yeah, it's true."

"W-why would you hide this for so long?" asked a flabbergasted Chihiro.

Mondo pointed in Jon's direction. "Because he asked me to."

Everyone's eyes instantly landed on Jon. The looks ranged from disgust, anger, to even a weird respectful gaze. Jon took all this in stride and continued.

"Mondo, could you give me the note Hifumi gave you?"

Makoto looked back to see Mondo pulling out a note from his jacket. "Yeah, here ya go."

Jon took the note, and all his attention seemed to be on the three letters that laid atop his stand. After a few moments of silence, he finally spoke again.

"The same person wrote all three of these notes, the handwriting is exactly the same." he said.

"Mondo, you had that note and never told any of us!?" Taka shouted, his yell seemed angrier then usual.

"He wanted me to wait to show you guys." Mondo said, once again pointing at Jon.

"This is an outrage!" Taka yelled.

"I agree with Taka," Kyoko said. "This is ridiculous, we could have ended this much faster if you told us about all of this."

"I'm telling you now, and I want you all to do something." Jon passed around the piece of paper with Yasuhiro's signature, and a pencil. "I want everyone to write down the name Yasuhiro on that sheet, and then give it back to me."

"What are you hoping to accomplish, Jon?" Celeste asked.

"I'm capturing a murderer, _Salope_. Don't interrupt me." he responded.

It took a minute for everyone to write down there name on the sheet, but it eventual led back to Jon, who analyzed it for a few moments. When it appeared that he finished, he raised his head very slowly, and then stared straight at Celeste.

"Celeste, your attempt to mask your handwriting is _appalling_." he all but shouted.

"Are you saying that I wrote those notes?" she asked incredulously. "I never expected you to be so bold as to accuse me of murdering a friend of mine."

"I want you to answer me, and answer truthfully." Jon said, leaning on his stand. "What. Is. Your. Real. Name?"

Celeste gaped at Jon, but quickly regained her composure. "My... name is Celestia Ludenberg. How is any of this important?"

"Because," Jon began. "the letter to Hifumi from Yasuhiro was a _personal_ letter from the latter." He paused for dramatic effect, then continued. "You also look nothing like a european, your name doesn't suit you at all, and once more, if I recall, Hifumi only ever really talked to you."

Jon stopped, letting the information he'd just given them to sink in.

"So let me ask you once more. What is your real name?"

Celeste giggled.

Makoto felt a chill run up his spine as he heard her. It sounded like she was giggling over a funny joke. She looked up and stared Jon directly in the eyes.

"My name is... Celestia Lu _DDENBERG GOD DAMNIT _!"__

__"Is it, _Yasuhiro_!? Is that your real fucking name!?" Jon grabbed his stand and yelled back at her._ _

__"My name is Celestia Ludenberg you fucking dipshit! Why can't you just accept it!? There's nothing you can even do to connect me with the crime! Nothing!" Celeste was yelling at the top of her lungs, and Jon just shouted right back at her._ _

__"Really? _Nothing_ can be used? Makoto and I know you can be!" Jon looked at Makoto. "Tell her, Makoto!"_ _

__Makoto jumped at his name being called. He had been too stunned by the sudden argument that had arisen between Jon and Celeste that he had almost stopped listening to everything around him. For a few moments he just stared blankly at Jon._ _

__" _Fucking_ say something!" Jon shouted._ _

__Makoto regained his senses, and went through the sequence of events in his mind. He had found the body, Jon and Mondo came, they went to the gym, Celeste had said-_ _

__Oh._ _

__"Celeste, you said 'let's go find Hifumi's killer', right?" he tentatively spoke._ _

__Celeste looked at him incredulously. "Of course I did! I wanted to find his killer as much as anyone! What does this have to do with anything, Stick limbs!?"_ _

__Makoto winced, but continued. "I don't think the Body Discovery announcement ever said who was killed, and you never went into the room until after you said that..."_ _

__"...What?" Celeste looked absolutely stunned._ _

__"You said the same thing when I talked to you _after_ we discovered the body! What do you have to say for yourself!?" Jon was still shouting._ _

__"..." Celeste looked down, and didn't raise her head back up. She spoke again a few seconds later._ _

__"I guess this is it..." She had dropped her fake accent, and now sounded almost normal._ _

__"Do you confess?" Jon asked, who had finally seemed to calm down._ _

__"...Yes, alright, fine, I did it, you got me, woohoo." she waved her arms around, and her voice had turned to an eerie monotone._ _

__Makoto looked around the room to see everyone's reaction. Kyoko, while seeming to be completely calm like always, seemed to be seething in a way. Mondo looked calm as well. Taka's face was red, which was probably from all the cursing that he had failed to correct. Chihiro was cowering behind her stand. Byakuya was smirking at Jon. Toko was pulling on her braids nervously. Hina had her mouth opened like a fish out of water. Sakura had her arms folded over her chest, and she had her eyes closed. Hiro seemed to be almost unaffected by the shouting contest. Sayaka seemed to be fine, and Leon was looking at Jon with a mixture of fear and confusion._ _

__"So," Kyoko said, trying to break the tension after Celeste confessed. "how did it happen?"_ _

__"It was simple, really." Celeste said. "All I did was invite Hifumi to the baths after Mondo left. I killed him, ruffed up the room a bit, and I had to wash my claw off because blood got on it." she looked down at the metal claw on her finger, and smiled slightly._ _

__"So that's where that gash came from..." murmured Makoto._ _

__"I would have made a better plan, if I thought I had more time. I didn't know how long that ten million dollar motive would last, so, I decided to gamble in a way." Celeste looked down. "I clearly underestimated you guys."_ _

__She looked back up. "By the way, my real name is Taeko Yasuhiro, in case you wanted to know."_ _

__"There is one thing I don't understand." Jon said suddenly. "Why?"_ _

__"Not that I would want tell _you_." Celeste spat. "But it was for the money, I was going to use it to fulfill my dream, you see."_ _

"And what is that dream, Celeste?" Jon asked.

Celeste looked at Jon, and for the briefest of moments, her eyes softened. But then, she smiled. The same smile she gave to everyone who talked to her.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" was her only response.

__"Y-you killed one of your friends for money!?" Hina yelled. "H-how could you?"_ _

__"I don't expect you all to understand, after all, we still need to finish this trial." she said nonchalantly._ _

__Monokuma suddenly perked up. "Have we finally reached a finality!? Is everyone done!? Finally! It was really starting to get boring!"_ _

__Monokuma pointed at the the students. "All's you have to do is pull down the lever on the student you think is guilty and bingo! Execution time!"_ _

__Makoto looked down at the lever on his stand, and felt apprehension. He was basically sending someone to their death, and he would be lying if he said he didn't feel a bit guilty. But, he steeled himself, and pulled the lever on Celeste's name._ _

__Once everyone was done pulling the lever, they looked up to the slot machine next to Monokuma's throne, and watched it spin._ _

__**And the murderer of Hifumi Yamada was:** _ _

__**Celestia Ludenberg/Taeko Yasuhiro** _ _

__**CONGRATULATIONS!** _ _

__Makoto looked at the slot machine and sighed. They had caught the killer, and that meant that everyone else would live, but it also meant sending someone else to their death, and he didn't like that at all. Makoto heard someone come from behind him, and turned around to see Kyoko._ _

__"That man is selfish." Makoto barely heard what she said, and he didn't understand who she was referring to._ _

__"Huh?" he responded._ _

__"Jon withheld evidence that could have ended the trial much faster, and he didn't bother to tell anyone until half way through it. Why do you think he would do that, Makoto?" Kyoko whispered._ _

__Makoto thought about everything he knew about Jon, but couldn't find any reason why he would want to do what he did._ _

__"I have no idea." he replied._ _

__Kyoko sighed, and looked at Jon, who was standing silently on his stand, staring off into space._ _

__"I think he wanted some weird form of revenge." she explained._ _

__"R-revenge? For what?"_ _

__"I'm not sure, but he waited until the culprit was completely comfortable to drop that bombshell. Watch him more closely from now on, Makoto."_ _

__Before Makoto could respond, Kyoko had walked away. He suddenly remembered the phrase Jon had given him._ _

__" _You can't trust anyone, Makoto._ "_ _

___Alllllllllright_ everyone! I have a super special punishment for the Ultimate Gambler!_ _

__

__**IIIIIIIT'S PUNISHMENT TIME!** _ _

__Before anyone could react, a metal coil wrapped around Celeste's neck, and dragged her into an open door. Makoto and everyone else were rushed into a caged area, where they saw the execution play out before them._ _

__- <>-_ _

__**The setting is dreary and bleak. A crowd of monochrome bears stare in anticipation at the sight before them. A lone bear with an executioner’s hood stands ready to pull the lever to a guillotine.** _ _

__**The crowd turns towards another bear, pulling with it a hooded figure. The figure is wearing a cheap cloak, but underneath, they can see expensive black clothing, and pale white skin.** _ _

__**The bear leads the figure to the stand where the guillotine sits in waiting, ready to claim another accused.** _ _

__**When they get there, the bear removes the cloak and reveals the flawless form of Celestia Ludenberg. Celestia looks at the crowd that gathers at her execution, and she smiles. It’s truly an execution befit for a queen.** _ _

__**The executioner bear forces Celestia to kneel in front of the guillotine. Celestia’s smile broadens. Though she fears death, she wouldn’t have it any other way.** _ _

__**Her smile falters when she feels a shove come from behind, and it disappears completely when she sees the ground come closer and closer and closer.** _ _

__***SNAP*** _ _


	10. Fallout

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter, you get a glimpse into Jon's tragic backstory! Along with some reactions from the three main perspectives of the story. Doesn't that sound fun?

Jon's chest felt constricted, tightened, like a boa constrictor was crushing him to death. It wasn't Celeste's/Taeko's execution. No, he'd seen more gruesome deaths in movies. But for some reason, he felt like the wind had been taken out of him when he saw her plummet to the ground and hit the concrete floor face first. The sickening snap that echoed afterwords would haunt his dreams though, he was sure of that. Then again, she _deserved_ this. She brought it upon herself. Jon conceded that he may have let his anger and contempt get the better of him, and he kinda regrets not telling everyone about all the notes, and he also felt bad for dragging Mondo into this... 

_Wait... what the hell?_

Jon felt a stinging sensation near the corner of his right eye. He touched it, and when he looked at it, his fingertip was wet.

Had he been crying?

Jon shook it off, there was no reason to cry, not over Celeste's execution, not over his ~~Betrayal~~ withholding of evidence, nothing.

"Puhuhuhu! What a _brilliant_ way to start off the Executions! Not the most grisly of executions I have planned out I _assure_ you. But you could detect _all_ the hidden meanings if you knew her well enough! AHAHAHAHAHA!"

The bears annoying voice grated on Jon's ears. It was akin to running someone's nails across a chalkboard.

"Alright, Class trial is officially **OVER!** You all can go about your normal, communal school lives with the knowledge that a murderer has been plucked from your presence! Atleast... _for now._ Puhuhuhuhu!" Monokuma disappeared behind his chair, but Jon swore he could still hear the bears laugh even after he was gone.

Jon turned around to see everybody already making their way to the elevator. Everyone held a downcast expression, except for Kyoko, who glared at Jon as he stepped onto the elevator.

* * *

Kyoko stared daggers into the back of Jon's head. On the outside, one might detect the faintest hint of annoyance, or maybe even mild aggression, but on the inside, she was furious. This man had decided, on his own initiative, to hide evidence from everyone for what seemed like petty revenge. Kyoko still didn't understand the reason; Jon didn't seem like the guy to get torn up and angry over people he didn't really know dying, but she would find out what.

Kyoko contained herself, and she was really good at it, even if she didn't completely remember why. She stopped glaring at him from behind, and looked down at the floor, her face not changing from the stoic expression that she always held. The elevator ride towards the 'surface' felt like a long time, but in reality, it was most likely only around one to two minutes tops.

Once the elevator stopped, and the doors opened, everyone slowly walked out. Most went towards the dorms, and Kyoko couldn't blame them. It was probably only around three or four in the afternoon, but the trial took a lot out of everyone. Makoto in particular sagged his shoulders as he made his way towards his room. Kyoko felt a bit worried about the boy, but she couldn't understand why.

She noticed that Jon had not moved from his place.

"May I ask why you were staring at me from behind my back?" he suddenly asked, without looking back.

Kyoko was surprised, but she didn't show it. He was more perceptive then she gave him credit for.

"You withheld evidence so you could get revenge on someone for murdering someone you barely know." she stated. "I am a little curious."

Jon turned around, and Kyoko saw that his face was completely blank, almost like she was mocking her.

"I let my emotions get the better of me, something you are probably unfamiliar with, Tin Woman." he spoke in a monotone, and Kyoko knew now that he was mocking her.

"Atleast I told everyone everything I found out-"

"Which wasn't much, really."

Was he trying to infuriate her? She would begrudgingly admit that it was working, but she didn't show it, or tell it.

"You didn't tell anyone anything, except Mondo, and even he didn't know everything you had planned." she said. "You are going to have a tough time getting people to trust you after that stunt you pulled."

Jon's eyes widened, and his fake expressionless face turned to one of anger and regret. Kyoko smiled on the inside. Check mate.

"Whatever." Jon said, waving her off. "I'm tired, leave me alone." He began to walk away, and Kyoko waited until he was in his own dorm until she walked back to her dorm as well.

* * *

When Makoto got to his room, he was utterly exhausted. It felt like he had run a marathon. The scene of the murder and the execution played in his mind over and over again, like a broken video tape.

He sighed, and laid down on his bed. Even though it was still a long while until the nighttime announcement would play, he didn't care. Between everything that had happened today, and the events that happened just a few days ago, his mind almost felt blank.

He lightly tapped against the make-shift stitches on his stomach. They had started itching, which means they must be healing, right? He had worried that they might get infected, but it seemed that he wouldn't have to worry anymore.

He'd feel better if that had been the only thing he had been worrying about.

Kyoko said that Jon did what he did out of revenge. Makoto didn't know how she could figure something like that out. Sure, he had been a little shocked when he began releasing bombshell after bombshell during the trial, which did eventually lead to the killer, but had it really been for vengeance? What was Kyoko's talent was what this line of thought led to, and Makoto had several options. Ultimate Analyst? Maybe, he hadn't seen enough of her yet to come to that conclusion. Ultimate Police Officer? That was one that had had crossed out subconsciously, but it would explain her being comfortably around bodies... wait, were Police Officers comfortable around bodies? Makoto realized that Kyoko might not like all the speculations he had thought up of her talent. If she didn't want to reveal, then that was _her_ choice, and he couldn't do anything about it.

Makoto continued to wonder as he fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

Kyoko walked around her room silently, with only a faint _click!_ ringing out when she took a step. She had a lot on her mind. Firstly, why had Jon acted the way he did at the trial? As she had concluded earlier, he didn't seem like the kind of person to become vindictive when someone they barely knew died. And the way he had acted earlier showed that he was mentally upset at the very least. Secondly, why had he been acting this way for the past few days? Again, he was around people he barely knew, and yet every time something bad seemed to happen to anyone, he would act like an angry father scolding a child.

All these thoughts led her nowhere. Kyoko sighed in annoyance. If only she could remember. This amnesia she had was incredibly problematic. It felt like every time she tried to remember anything about her past, all she would see would be static. She could remember certain events, like why she wore gloves, and over the past few days she had remembered she had a grandfather, and that she cared for him a lot. But she still couldn't remember most of her past, or even her Ultimate Talent.

Kyoko sat on her bed and tried to relax. She would have to become more aggressive while investigating the school. She would still come to the breakfast meetings, but after that she would most likely disappear somewhere in the school and try her best to find out anything she can about the situation. She hadn't found anything on the first floor, maybe the second floor would have something? Only time will tell.

Kyoko fell into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

Jon entered his room and then slammed the door. He wasn't mad, in fact, he didn't feel much for at least thirty seconds after he got to his room. He flattened himself against his door, and put his hands to his face. The weight of what he had done finally dawning on him. How could he be so stupid? How? How could he let his emotions take over like that?

" _Kā es varētu būt tik stulba? Quomodo? Miten?_ " he mumbled as he slid down the door.

It wasn't bad enough that he had let someone die. Because of his stupidity, two people had been erased from existence. Gone. Forever. Never coming back. All because of _him_. And now someone he cared for will pay for his mistakes. 

_Still crying?_

Jon stood up straight and his eyes darted around the room. Not that voice again. That hideously familiar voice. 

He scanned the room, and saw nothing. He sighed. His mind was playing tricks on him again. This is what happens when you're very stressed and tired. All he needed was a little sleep, yes, that's al-

_And you thought I was pathetic..._

Jon stood straight up and walked around the room. He heard that voice. He _knew_ he heard it. How could something so clear be an auditory hallucination? Clearly, Monokuma most have brought that _bastard_ here to torment him. Yes, that had to be it.

" _Où diable êtes-vous, salaud? Venu, afin que je peux finir votre vie misérable._ "

Jon looked around the room, but couldn't find any trace of the man the voice he heard belonged to.

_Hiding behind languages, again? You haven't changed much since we last met..._

Jon was becoming increasingly agitated and angry. He began ripping the sheets off his mattress, and flipped his desk over looking for a speaker or something, _anything_ , that could be producing that infernal sound that mimicked a voice.

" _Eu vai aniquilar-te! Tudo! Não haverá nada!_ " he shouted. His searching turned up fruitless.

_How do you think she felt, eh, Jon? What do you think went through Celeste's mind as she fell towards her death?_

That hurt far deeper than he predicted, and he didn't even know why. Jon was now frantically running around the room, looking for the source of that ungodly voice. When he found it, he would _atomize_ it.

" _Ich werde dich brechen! Unë ju premtoj unë do!_ " he screeched. He had given up on finding the voice. Maybe Monokuma hid it behind one of the walls? That would be cruel, the cruelest thing anyone had ever done to him. 

If only that were true.

_You know, you absolutely despise me for what I did to you, but do you really think what you did was any different?_

How dare he.

"Atleast I don't betray my friends for money, _Shinrai!_ " he shouted to a wall. After that, the voice was mercifully silent. It never spoke for the rest of the night.

Jon curled up in his unmade bed, and had nothing but nightmares.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You'd be surprised how fucked up Jon actually is.


	11. Familiar Faces

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the longest chapter I have written for this so far, almost 4000 words.
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

" _Attention everyone! It is now seven a.m! Time to rise and shiiiiiiiiine!_ "

Makoto lifted his head up from his bed with a groan. It had been awhile since the morning announcement had woken him up, and he hoped it would be the last. Monokuma's voice was unpleasant to listen to, let alone wake up to.

He got up, and made his way to the cafeteria. When he got there, only Taka, Mondo, Chihiro, Sayaka, Leon, and Kyoko were there. Makoto wondered if the others simply didn't bother to show up, or if they ignored the morning announcement and were staying in bed a little longer than usual.

He sat down in his usual place and began to eat. 

That lasted about three seconds.

"We have an anomaly." Makoto looked to where the voice came from, and saw Jon standing at the doorway to the cafeteria.

"What do ya mean?" Mondo asked.

"Well, first off, the Nurse's Office is open." Makoto rubbed the area where the stitches were. "And secondly, the stairs to the second floor are opened." 

"Excellent!" Taka shouted. "But, may I ask where everyone is at? We are the only ones to arrive. They must be reminded that attendance here is mandatory!"

"I know for a fact everyone except Toko and Byakuya is asleep." Jon replied.

"And how do you know this?" asked Kyoko.

Jon looked in Kyoko's direction, and a small glower appeared on his face, but it disappeared as fast as it had arrived.

"Because I _knocked_." he said simply.

Kyoko looked away from Jon, and closed her eyes. Jon sighed.

"Look, I'm sorry about what I did yesterday. I wasn't lying when I said I let my emotions get the better of me." he said, looking down. Makoto had already forgiven him, even though he wasn't mad at him in the first place. Kyoko, however, still continued to seemingly ignore him.

"Not so easy, is it?" said Sayaka, with her arms crossed.

"You know what, I could retort, but I'm not going to." he responded, continuing to stare at the floor.

"I appreciate your apology and your new-found filter! But we have more important things to discuss!" Taka spoke loudly.

Mondo got up. "We need to wake everyone up and explore! We could find a way out!"

"I-it would be nice to get out of here..." said Chihiro, who got up as well. 

"You guys can do that." Jon said calmly. "I want to see what's up there, alone."

"What!? Don't go Byakuya on us! C'mon, we can go together!" Leon said. He was still sitting next to Sayaka, but she barely acknowledged his existence.

"Sorry, Leon. Maybe some other time." Jon walked away after that.

Makoto hoped that there would be an exit or some kind of flaw that would allow them to escape. He looked over to Kyoko, and saw that she was staring off into the distance, probably thinking. Everyone paired up, with Mondo, Taka, and Chihiro leaving together, and Leon and Sayaka as well. Makoto and Kyoko were the only ones left in the Cafeteria. 

"Hey..." Makoto began. "Do you want to explore together? We could probably-"

"I'm sorry, but I must decline." Kyoko cut him off.

Makoto did not expect that, and it clearly showed on his face, as Kyoko was quick to elaborate.

"Don't think it has anything to do with you, I would just rather do something like this myself, if you don't mind." 

"Y-yeah, that's fine, I guess..." he stammered. Kyoko got up and left the cafeteria. Makoto was the last to leave the cafeteria, and also the only one to remember to wake up everyone else.

* * *

It took Makoto a couple minutes to get everyone to wake up, but when they did, they all went to to the now opened stair way to the second floor. Jon was right, the bars that had cut them off were all gone. There was nothing there that could even point to them being there in the first place.

"How did the mastermind get rid of all this last night?" Hina asked.

"Maybe they used a giant magnet! Think 'bout it, all they would need-" Hiro tried to get everyone to believe his conspiracy theory, but everyone brushed him off.

"So, like, this is really strange, but we should explore now, right?"

"That would a be a sensible course of action." Sakura replied. "Everyone else is up there, but we should also keep an eye out for Byakuya and Toko."

"Yeah," Makoto agreed "they weren't in their rooms, and I couldn't find them anywhere on the first floor..."

"If we don't find em up there, than they could have been abducted." Hiro put a hand to his chin thoughtfully. "I mean, we can't throw away the possibility that-"

"Someone, please, get him to, like, stop." Junko put her hands to her ears. "Let's just go, alright?"

Makoto agreed with Junko's sentiments, though he wouldn't have put it like that. They five of them walked up the stairs, and began to explore the second floor of the school.

* * *

Jon didn't mean to discover the secret room, it just sort of happened.

He had come in with the most innocent of intentions, and unfortunately, that required toilet paper. He had realized there would be a problem when he saw none in the stall he had been occupying. He had let out a sigh of annoyance, and went to the broom closet at the far side of the room. He was looking around for anything that might resemble toilet paper, and he fell.

Jon had not been sleeping well. He never slept well, really, but it had gotten worse over the past few days, and when he did sleep, he would have horrible nightmares. He remembered the last one involved a helicopter, Godzilla, and a giant Monokuma. This insomnia led to him becoming more clumsy, and this led to losing his footing in the dark broom closet, and him falling against the wall. It was probably a good thing he had fell, he would later reflect.

Then, he found himself in a dark room, with bookshelves lining the far side of the room, and a desk sitting in the middle. Jon eventually recovered from his fall, and did what any normal person would do: investigate.

First, he checked the desk. It had a random assortment of papers on it, and when he glanced over them, they didn't seem to be of any importance, until he looked at the date.

It was over a year from today. His eyes froze over this, and he stood completely still for several seconds. His mind tried to come up with a rational explanation, and eventually he was able to find one. Maybe the paper was for something that would happen in the future? That was the only logical conclusion, and it's the one he went with.

The next thing he looked over was the file located on the side of the desk. The outside had 'Student Files' printed with blocky text. Jon decided, against better judgement, really, there was more interesting things in the room, like the bookshelves on the other side of the room that had books that were practically _begging_ to be read, he went through it. The books on the bookshelves were certainly more important then reading over a bunch of student files about people he had already met, and that's all that he found within, at first.

At first.

He had gone over everyone's file. As expected, it was full of information about everyone here, except for Kyoko, but the only thing that was missing from hers was that the space titled 'Ultimate Talent' was blotched out with black ink. The big shocker for Jon was what was at the back, all it had was a name.

'Mukuro Ikusaba'

"Corpse War blade?" he said allowed without thinking. It was a really morbid name when he thought about it. But what was it's significance? Who could have a name like that? And, more importantly, were they in there with them? It was in their classfiles, so maybe...

Jon took the page from the file, and put it in his pocket. He would have to look over it later, he had seen more information on it that he had skimmed over. He glanced over to the last thing that was on the desk. He decided to look at it before he tackled the bookshelves at the other side of the room, which were still taunting him.

He looked over it first, it looked almost like a photograph from the back. He flipped it over and-

Oh.

 

_Oh._

_Well that's interesting._

He looked over the photograph, it was really funny how-

"What are you doing here?"

* * *

"What are you doing here?"

"OH _JESUS_ -"

Kyoko saw Jon jump, and then backpeddle into a wall. He breathed deeply for a few seconds, clutching his chest, while staring at Kyoko. She took a little amusement in the fact that she had apparently scared him this bad when she didn't even mean to. Jon got up, and spoke slowly.

"I found this place by accident, I swear." he said, with a hand behind his back.

"Hmm." she replied simply. Kyoko analyzed the room. Three bookshelves towards the back, a desk in the middle with a rolling chair. Several items on the desk.

"Look, I've been meaning to say this..." Jon said. Kyoko looked at him, and saw a hand in his pocket, which he quickly pulled out. She concluded that he was hiding something from her, but she decided not to bring it up there.

"I was... kind of a douche yesterday. I sincerely apologize for... hiding evidence from you all." he said the last part quietly, as if it physically hurt for him to say it.

"You've already apologized in the cafeteria, why are you doing so again?" 

Jon seemed surprised, and then looked away. "I don't know." he mumbled. Kyoko's neutral expression turned to a slight frown, but she said nothing else. She had nothing else to say.

She looked over everything on the desk, and even into the student files, but found nothing. The student files didn't even have her talent, which frustrated her quite a bit. The bookshelves didn't even have much either, only history books and some report compilations, nothing that could help her or the group. Kyoko looked back at Jon, who was surprisingly still there, but Kyoko noted that he had been slowly inching towards the door.

"How did you find this place?" she asked. If she would have to guess, she would say he found it by accident, but she wanted to be sure.

"Completely by accident." he replied. "I was looking for toilet paper, and then I tripped."

Having her suspicions confirmed, she continued.

"Don't tell anyone about this place."

"I wasn't going to." he said, moving towards the secret entrance. Kyoko turned away from him, when suddenly she heard him cough. She looked back at him, and wondered why he hadn't left yet.

"I...I know you haven't accepted my apology," he began. "So, tell you what. Tonight, in your room, after the nighttime announcement, I'll give you something. Sound good?"

Kyoko wanted to refuse, but for some reason, she said yes. What harm could it do? Maybe he had something important...

"Good, good... See you later."

Jon left the secret room, leaving Kyoko to study over anything she could find.

* * *

"Oh my _goodness!_ " Hina cried. "They have a pool!"

Makoto had been exploring for a while. So far, all he had really found were a couple of classrooms, and now a pool. To the right of the pool were two changing rooms, one for boys, and one for girls. The girls changing room, however, had a very conspicuous chain gun turret near the entrance. Makoto and Chihiro were focused on it while Hina barely even acknowledged it. She was too distracted by the pool.

"Umm..." Chihiro said. "Why is there a turret in front of the changing rooms?" 

"It's for protection, of course!" A high-pitched voice suddenly said.

"Wha-" Monokuma appeared right in front of Chihiro, causing her to jump and back away. Makoto really wished Monokuma would stop appearing out of nowhere, but considering the situation they had all found themselves in, that wasn't likely.

"You high school students, especially the boys, have _raging_ hormones! It wont be long before you start humping everything in sight! The gun is there as a protective measure!" Monokuma said, 'sweating'. "So, if _any_ of the boys try opening the girls changing and workout room, the gun turret will activate and obliterate you!"

The way Monokuma talked so casually about someone's possible death sickened Makoto. He was tempted to point out that someone could just borrow a girls E-Handbook and open the door, but he stopped himself before doing so.

"U-um, ok... Can we please go now?" Chihiro asked shakily, while looking from Makoto to Hina with pleading eyes.

"Awww, leaving already?" Monokuma looked disappointed, but Makoto couldn't understand why. "I mean, don't you want to see what's in the girls Changing room, Chihiro? You will be using it, _right_?" Monokuma leaned in towards Chihiro, while Chihiro continued to back away, looking more uncomfortable by the second. 

"I-I-" She began, but she was cut off by the door being opened, and Sakura stepping into the room.

"We have found Byakuya." Sakura said. "He is in the Library. Would you like to come?"

"Yes!" Chihiro said, quickly walking towards Sakura and out the door.

"You found him? Is he ok?" Makoto asked, walking away from Monokuma.

"Of course Sakura found him!" Hina all but shouted. "We need to get him! What was he doing there anyway?"

"When we found him, he was sitting down and reading, Toko was wandering around as well." Sakura replied.

Makoto looked around for Monokuma, who had strangely not interrupted their conversation, only to find that he had disappeared.

* * *

The three of them walked into the library. Makoto hadn't been there yet, and to him it looked like any other library he had been in. Albeit, it was a big library. He saw everyone except Jon was already there, and they were surrounding Byakuya, who was sitting down calmly reading a book, ignoring everyone around him.

"There you are!" Hina shouted "We've been looking everywhere for you!" 

"Have you?" Byakuya replied. "Well, as you can see, I am fine, so can all leave me in peace now."

"Ahem! I must remind you, Byakuya, that attendance of the breakfast meetings are mandatory!" Taka said, standing up straight and staring down at Byakuya. "Skipping it is absolutely unacceptable!"

"Oh, is it? Well, I will no longer attend these 'breakfast meetings'. They are a waste of time." he said. "In this game, I will not continue to socialize with you, it would put me at a disadvantage." The way he said that this whole situation was a game sent a chill up Makoto's spine. Does he really think that?

"Are you serious!?"" Mondo yelled. "You're callin' this a game!?"

Byakuya finally took his eyes off his book, sighed, and stood up. "Yes, this is what this is after all, a game. A game I intend to win, mind you." Byakuya smiled, but it came off more creepy and malicious than anything else. "And when I win this game, I will _kill_ whomever put me into this situation. I vow on the Togami name."

"H-how can you call this a game?" said a tiny voice from behind Sakura. She stood aside, and behind her stood Chihiro. Makoto couldn't tell if she was shaking because she was nervous, or if she was angry.

"P-people's lives are at stake! All we have to do is go against the masterm-"

"Don't be ridiculous." Byakuya interrupted. "They have gathered us all here, cut off any means of escape, and are practically forcing us to kill each other. The only way to win this, is to play along, not by making friends and going against the mastermind, that will result in my and all of your deaths. Do you think that is a good idea?" 

Byakuya stared at a shivering Chihiro, who was struggling to find something to say.

"I-I-" she tried to say something, but was cut off once again by Byakuya. "Silence, you have nothing more to say that can dissuade me. Just stop."

Chihiro looked like she was about to cry. Makoto found it hard to look at. "I-I'm sorry..." she whispered.

"What the hell, man!?" Mondo shouted. "Do you think you're cool by talking down to people who can't defend themselves!?"

"Mondo, calm down!" Taka said, walking in between Mondo and Byakuya. "Fighting and shouting is not welcome here!"

"You even made Chihiro cry..." Junko said, pointing at Chihiro, who was close to Sakura, and tears were now visibly streaming down her face.

"W-what?" Mondo stammered. He stopped struggling to get to Byakuya, and saw what Junko had pointed out. "Aw man, I didn't-" Mondo tried to repair the situation, but to no avail.

"Bravo, Byakuya, you have officially fucked up everything." Makoto turned his head to where he heard the voice, and saw Jon at the entrance to the library, leaning on the doorframe. 

"Jon Uragiri, I thought you were trying to get better at swearing! I will need to give you a disciplinary referral if you continue!" Taka shouted, seemingly forgetting about the conversation that had just happened.

"Taka, no." he replied simply, and then walked into the library. "In a strange way, though, I kinda agree with you, Byakuya." 

Everyone's eyes looked at Jon in shock. Makoto didn't expect Jon to say something like that.

"Uh, what did you say? Are you ok, Jon?" Leon said. He had been hopelessly looking at the conversation unfold, along with Sayaka. 

"Never been better, Leon." Jon replied. "I only said I kinda agreed with him, can you please stop looking at me like I've just murdered a puppy?" 

"How can you agree with this asshole?" Mondo asked.

"Think about it, Mondo." Jon said, pacing around the room. "He is right, it is a game.

He pointed at Byakuya. "But that is as far as my agreement with you goes. You are being a _Putain de crétin_."

"Tch." Byakuya looked away. "If you all wont leave me alone, then I shall find somewhere else to read peacefully. Bye." Byakuya briskly walked to the doorway, and left the library.

"B-Byakuya!" Toko screamed, and followed after him. Makoto didn't even know that she was still there. The room was silent after that, until Taka spoke.

"I-I believe that we have discovered everything there is to discover here! I suggest we all go to the cafeteria to discuss our findings!"

Everyone made there way to the cafeteria. everyone except Byakuya and Toko.

* * *

"So, again, we've found, like, nothing?"

The conversation hadn't gone very far. Makoto hadn't found anything that no one else already had, and so he decided to stay quiet, like he had been for most of the day, really. It frustrated him only slightly, if someone were to press him.

Everyone had already explained what they had found: Two classrooms, a pool, and the library. However, as Junko had put it, they had found nothing that could be used as an escape.

"The steel plates are as sturdy as they are down here." Sakura said calmly. 

"Well, how _disappointing_." Jon commented. "I guess we found nothing."

"You don't sound very disappointed..." Leon whispered to Sayaka. Sayaka nodded.

Makoto had to agree, he didn't sound disappointed or sad or _anything_ really.

"I-I'm sorry..." Chihiro said suddenly. 

"Huh? What's wrong, Chihiro?" said Mondo, his voice laced with concern.

"Maybe he thought you were going to shout again..." Junko said.

"Hey! I said that was an accident!" Mondo looked back down at Chihiro. "Seriously, is somethin' wrong?" 

"T-this always happens..." Chihiro whispered, her eyes were threatening to release unshed tears. "P-people always h-have to fight for me, I'm not strong enough to..."

Chihiro began balling. The entire mood of the room seemed to drop as she did so.

"C'mon Chihiro, it's not all bad. Hey! Tell ya what." Chihiro looked up at Mondo, she had stopped crying, but her face was red and her cheeks were puffy. "I'm gonna make you a promise, a _man's_ promise. Ya ever need someone to talk to, I'm here, Ok?" 

Makoto was very confused by the situation, but he continued to listen.

"R-really? Do you mean that, Mondo?" Mondo looked down at her, but he avoided her eyes, a faint blush could be seen.

"Y-yeah, of course I do!" he stammered.

"Thank you!" Chihiro's face was still wet, but a bright smile now appeared on her face.

Makoto felt happier just looking at her face. It seemed she had the same effect on everyone else in the room, even Kyoko, who had the faintest of smiles are on her face.

Makoto saw Jon get up.

"Hey guys, not to interrupt, but it's getting late..."

Makoto looked towards the clock in the room, and he was right. It was thirty minutes after nine. The nighttime announcement would go off soon.

"Agreed!" Taka shouted for the upteenth time that day. "We should bring this meeting to a close! I wish you all good night!"

* * *

Kyoko tapped her foot on the ground impatiently. It was fifteen minutes after the nighttime announcement, and Jon still hadn't shown up. She was still in her room, just as he had asked, and he decided not to show up. Unbelievable.

She should have expected it. Jon was one of the least trustworthy people here, by her calculations. He had told all of them nothing, and while he had not lied, per se, he had kept evidence to himself for an entire investigation, derailing it for everyone other than himself, just so he could get revenge. 

Kyoko was about to just go to sleep, and forget all about Jon, when she heard a knock at her door.

She quickly walked across the room and opened the door, and, as expected, Jon was there with something in his hand.

"Do-" she tried to speak but was cut off by Jon forcing his hand into hers, and putting a finger to his lips. He let go of her hand and walked away. Kyoko was about to call after him, when she realized she was holding something in her hand.

It was a white envelope with writing on the front of it. It said:

" _Hope this makes up for that 'incident'. -Jon_ "

Kyoko chuckled slightly. It would have to be something good to completely forgive Jon.

She closed the door to her room and sat on her bed. Then, she flipped over the envelope and tore it open. A slip of laminated paper fell out. It looked like a photo from where she was looking. She flipped it over and-

Well.

This is interesting.

It _was_ a photo, and it showed _Kyoko Kirigiri_ , smiling, with an arm around _Makoto Naegi_ , also smiling and blushing furiously. That wasn't even the part that caught Kyoko's attention the most. It had to be the windows in the photograph, which showed a bright blue sky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...So, who do you guys think is going to die next?


	12. Corpse Warblade

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Mukuro Ikusaba roughly translates to "Corpse War Blade", a lot of the names have meanings behind them.
> 
> I wonder what Jon's is.

"Seriously, what the fuck does your name mean, _goddamnit_!"

Jon hovered over the crinkled sheet on his desk. Imprinted on it was the following:

**Mukuro Ikusaba**

**Talent: Ultimate Soldier**

**Background: [REDACTED]  
**

That's it, that's all that the paper had. A name, a talent, and something he couldn't even fucking read because it was covered in black bars. He was a hair breadth away from flying into a rage because of it. What does it mean? He shouldn't get worked up over something like this, especially with the camera on the other side of his room capturing every single movement he makes, and who knows? The damn thing probably has a microphone too. Just to fuck with him.

Mukuro Ikusaba.

Mukuro Ikusaba.

Mukuro Iku-fucking- _saba_.

It was a name that was certainly befitting of someone who kills for a living. Corpse Warblade, ri-fucking-diculous. He didn't know why, but it felt like the name was taunting him somehow, like it was saying 'what's wrong, Jon? The answer's right in front of you.'. The only thing the little piece of scratch paper had done was raise more questions, and maybe raise a few alarm bells in his head. He was tempted to just tear it up and be done with it. Keep it away from everyone else, make sure that if any of them happened to be the mastermind, they wouldn't know that he'd found something potentially important. Although, knowing the _ficken_ mastermind, they would probably be able to reassemble it from the little scraps in the garbage can.

Jon moaned and slammed his head on the desk. What the hell was he doing? He was getting mad at a simple piece of paper for what? Not giving him _all_ the answers he wanted? He supposed he should be grateful that the secret room had anything in it at all. It was pretty careless of the mastermind to just a _leave_ a room like that full with information. Oh well, their loss.

Then again, he wasn't exactly smart either. Not only did he have to keep everyone alive as best he could, but he also had to keep anything regarding the school that he found to himself, and to top it all off he had basically done it all to himself.

He couldn't risk the mastermind finding out that he knew about this 'Mukuro Ikusaba', and in the end, that made his job of keeping everyone alive difficult. How can you keep people from offing each other if they hate and distrust you? He was certainly doing a good job at the former. He did give Kyoko that picture he found, which was breaking one rule and upholding another. The stress was getting to him, and his lack of sleep wasn't helping in the slightest, he knew that.

Jon could feel himself slowing down, becoming more clumsy, and he could feel faint muscle spasms. He knew that not all of this could be related to insomnia. He was probably stressing himself out, he reasoned. You need to relax, take a deep breath, calm down.

Jon picked his head off the desk and slumped in his chair, staring at the ceiling. He didn't even know what time it was. It had to be very late, as he knows the nighttime announcement goes off at ten p.m., and that had felt like a long time ago.

He moved his hand to his pocket and pulled the gun out of his pocket. _His_ gun. It just felt right to have it with him, and looking at it and toying with it calmed him down. Jon had safety on, just in case he did anything... rash. He did not want a repeat of what happened last time, what had gotten him into this terrible and stress-inducing situation in the first place. He traced his fingers along the worn wooden handle of the firearm. The gun felt ancient, like it had gone around the world and back. If and when he gets out, who would look up what the gun's history was. There must be some way to identify it. It could be one of the first of it's kind made on Earth, or maybe-

"Whatcha doin'?"

It's a good thing Jon had kept the safety on. Because the next thing he knew he was shouting unintelligible gibberish, falling over his chair, and pointing the pistol directly at Monokuma's face. Monokuma stared down the barrel of the gun without flinching, like it had happened before.

"Woaaaaah now, tiger." Monokuma said. "Don't want a repeat of what happened earlier, do ya, cowboy?"

Jon put the gun back in his pocket, and stood up straight, looking down on Monokuma.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"Whaaaaat, not gonna ask me anything else? Straight to the point? Ya see, that's why I like you. I knew it was a good idea to choose you to be my-"

"Get. On. With. It." Jon spoke through clenched teeth. He had neither the patience, nor the stamina to deal with Monokuma for extended periods of time.

"Ah, well, I was just curious really. I mean, you've been in here _aaaaaaalll_ night at your desk. All you did was grunt and shout! Really, if I didn't have the camera, I would've thought that you and someone else were having a little 'private get together'. Puhuhuhu."

"Keep talking like that and I'm turning the safety off."

"Seriously, though, what were you reading? You looked and sounded really angry for no reason, so it _must_ be important, right?"

"Fuck off, I'm not telling you anything." he replied simply. He walked over to his desk, picked up the sheet of paper, and put it in his pocket before Monokuma could realize what he was doing.

"Awwww, c'mon, don't be like that! After our little agreement, I thought you would warm up to m-"

"We have nothing to discuss." Jon interrupted. "Now shove off. Before I snap and go into a psychotic rage."

"Oh! What a good idea! I should stay here until you go-"

"Oh my god, could you just _fuck off_ already!?" Jon shouted, he was pacing around the room again.

"There is no need to be _rude_ , Jon! Especially with business partn-"

"I swear to god I will skin you alive and make a sweater out of your fur, get the fuck _out!_ "

"What's with all the hostility!? I came here to check in on you and you just shout at me! Well fine! Maybe I should just rescind my prom-"

"No! No... just leave, please?" Jon was sitting on the side of his bed with his head in his hands. He couldn't really deal with Monokuma right now. It hurt him just to look at the monochrome bear.

"See? Was it so hard just to say _please_? Fine, I'll leave, but don't forget our agreement! Good night!" Monokuma waddled towards a wall, and while Jon wasn't looking, disappeared.

Jon still had his head in his hands. How could things get this bad? He was really doubting his agreement with Monokuma. How could he even be sure his uncle was alive? The bear could very well be lying, and while that scared him and hurt him just by thinking about it, he couldn't doubt the possibility.

Jon sighed and lied down on his bed. Despite his problems sleeping earlier, he felt like he could sleep forever. He closed his eyes and let the darkness take him.

* * *

Makoto was anxious. Very anxious. It was almost eight in the morning and no one had seen Jon. Most everyone had already finished eating, and the only ones left were him, Taka, Mondo, Chihiro, Leon, and Sayaka. Taka looked like he was about to start shouting at anything that moved. Apparently, the thought of _three_ people now skipping the breakfast meetings had filled him with an unforgiving disciplinary rage. Mondo was leaning on his seat like nothing was happening. Chihiro was looking from left to the right like she was about to cross the street, although she was really trying to avoid looking at the quaking Taka. Leon and Sayaka were, as always, sitting next to each other.

Makoto saw that they were at least talking to each other. He felt a bit guilty, though. He had been, probably unconsciously, avoiding Sayaka the past few days, and he was starting to regret it. He was going to go over and talk to both of them, when Taka's booming voice startled him.

"I _demand_ someone to get Jon Uragiri and bring him here! This is absolutely reprehensible behavior!"

"Why don't you go do it yourself?" Mondo suggested. "I mean, if you're gonna keep shoutin' about it..."

"Aha! I shall go then! I still haven't given him proper discipline for his outburst a couple days ago! I shall be back in less than five minutes!"

"Uhhh, no, don't, I'll go!" Leon said, standing up. "He's probably just sleeping in, and I don't thin-"

"Nonsense! You still have to guard Sayaka! Besides, sleeping in is not an acceptable use of time!"

"Uh, I-I'll do it!" Makoto said suddenly. He didn't know what possessed him to volunteer, but it felt like something bad would happen if he didn't

"Are you sure, Makoto? You will need to give him the proper discipline he needs." Taka looked at Makoto with a hand up to his chin. Makoto thought about it, and decided to just agree with anything he says.

"Y-yeah, sure! I'll go wake him up..."

"Excellent! Remember, if you need help, you need only bring him here! Haha!" Taka laughed jovially, and Makoto rushed to the cafeteria's exit.

He sped-walk to Jon's room, and ringed his doorbell.

***DING* *DONG***

Makoto stood outside of Jon's room and waited patiently. He still didn't know why he volunteered to get Jon, but he felt that the way Taka was acting, and the way he knows Jon is in the morning, he thought things may go seriously wrong. After coming to that conclusion, he realized that the door hadn't opened yet, and he pushed the doorbell again.

***DING* *DONG***

Makoto continued to stare at Jon's door. After several seconds, he rang the doorbell one more time.

***DING* *DONG***

He waited a little while longer, then decided to look for Jon elsewhere. Just as he was leaving, he heard the door to Jon's room open.

"You've just ruined the best sleep I've gotten since I got here. Explain. Now." Jon looked like a mess. His hair was unkempt and his clothes looked like they were in desperate need of a wash. His green eyes were still as piercing as ever. Makoto stopped gawking and answered his question.

"Ah, um, well, everyone's been worried, it's eight o'clock-"

"It's what?" he interrupted, his eyes still fixed on Makoto.

"E-eight o'clock-"

"God _damnit_." he interrupted again. Jon looked down to the floor, and blinked several times, before looking up. "Alright, I'll _fucking_ get up. I'm going to the cafeteria." He closed the door behind him and walked past Makoto towards the cafeteria. Makoto, noticing the powder keg he had just tried to extinguish had just reignited, ran after him.

"W-wait, I-I don't think you-" 

"Makoto, I'm hungry, I'm tired, and I'm in a terrible mood. Either go away, or come with me and get something to eat as well." he interrupted for the third time. 

"B-but-"

"What do you expect me to eat, Makoto?" Jon stopped walking and looked back at Makoto. "Do you want me to eat the carpet? I'm going to the cafeteria, Makoto. Shove off." he grumbled the last part. Makoto still tried to get Jon to stay away from the cafeteria, but Jon ignored him. When Jon opened the cafeteria door, all hell broke loose.

" **JON URAGIRI! YOU HAVE BEEN LATE FOR THE LAST TIME!** " Taka shouted the loudest Makoto had ever heard him do so. and he was marching over to the cafeteria entrance.

" _Meus tímpanos porra!_ " Jon put both of his hands to his ears. "My god, is the only way you can communicate through shouting!? _Christ_!"

"Shouting is the proper way to deal with delinquents such as yourself!" Taka was standing in front of Jon and was was rummaging through one of his pockets. "I told Makoto to come here with you if he couldn't handle you himself!" Taka looked at Makoto. "I thank you for your cooperation!" Makoto looked around the room awkwardly, trying to avoid seeing the situation at all costs. He felt a bit guilty not being able to get Jon to listen to him. Maybe if he had sounded more confident-

" _Zdrada!_ Traitor! I'll tear out your eyes!" Jon yelled, glaring at Makoto. Makoto felt himself shrink under his gaze.

"Nonsense! He was just trying to get you to see reason! Now, I wish I didn't have to do this, but..." Taka finally found what he was looking for in his pocket. It was a green post-it note. He scribbled something on it with a pen, and then handed it to Jon. Jon took it with shaking hands. He stared at it blankly, until he spoke, his voice sounded gravelly.

"What. The hell. Is this?" He pointed towards the green post-it note, which had the words, " _Tardiness - Detention_ ", written on it. 

"It's a declaration of your punishment!" Taka answered. "You shall serve it for the next few da-" He was interrupted by a ripping sound.

Jon was ripping up the post-it note, while mumbling to himself, " _Ffyc chi a phopeth ydych yn sefyll am, byddwch yn anghyfreithlon llythrennol._ ". He flew the small pieces into Taka's face. "That's what I think of your 'punishment', now, please, step aside."

Taka's face was a bright red, and his lips were curled inward, as if he was barely containing a yell. Makoto began to back away, and then Taka exploded.

" **Unacceptable! I must now report you to the principal for-** "

" _Questo è tutto, arrivederci._ " Jon said suddenly, and he made a b-line to the exit. Taka marched after him.

" **Where do you think you're going!?** " he shouted.

"Anywhere but here, _Spurius_!" he shouted back. As soon as he was out the door, he began running.

" **NO RUNNING IN THE HALLS!** " Taka yelled, and sped-walk after him.

"Friggin' heck." Mondo said, leaning on his chair. "What a hard ass."

Makoto just wondered how things could have gone so wrong.

* * *

Kyoko Kirigiri was investigating. That word felt so familiar and so far away at the same time. Maybe her talent had something to do with investigating? She would have to think about it later, right now, she was somewhat worried. The laptop that was discovered yesterday was nowhere to be found in the library.

They, they referring to her, Byakuya, and Sakura (Though Kyoko was certain Toko was skulking among the bookshelves as well), had found it on the desk the previous day. They tried to turn it on, but it wouldn't. It was either broken, or it was out of charge, and since no charger was found, they couldn't really do anything. Though Kyoko had to stifle a chuckle at seeing Byakuya, the _great_ Byakuya, fumbling around with something as simple as a laptop. Charger or no, no one touched it afterward. No one new who came in later that day even mentioned it or noticed it. Which somewhat narrowed down the list of people who could've taken it.

Kyoko idly walked among the bookshelves, looking for any sign of the laptop. When she had come in, Byakuya was sitting in the exact same place he had the previous day. He was reading what seemed to be a mystery novel. Byakuya gave her a half-glance, then returned to reading. She guessed that he didn't mind someone else's presence as long as they didn't make any noise. Fine with her.

She stopped when she saw something poking out from beneath a bookshelf. She knelt and pulled it out. It was a crinkled, somewhat torn sheet of paper. She noticed that there was something written on one side:

" _Αρχηγός μας έχει μολυνθεί με απελπισία. Πρέπει να τον πάρει. Συνάντησέ Mε στη βιβλιοθήκη._ "

It doesn't need to be said that Kyoko had no idea what it meant. To her, it looked akin to a bunch of squiggly lines arranged in patterns by a child. She couldn't read it, but she knew someone he most likely could.

Kyoko was not thrilled with involving anyone in her investigation, let alone Jon of all people, but he was probably the only one who could translate it for her. With that in mind, she quietly made her way out of the library, careful not to disturb the _great_ Byakuya Togami, and-

" _Jeg håper du brenner!_ "

"I will not stand your insubordination any longer! **STOP AT ONCE!** "

Kyoko saw Jon running in the hallway, with a very, _very_ angry Taka. While Jon was running, Taka was only speed-running down the hallway.

"Look, Taka! Just leave me the fu- hell alone!" Jon shouted at him. He had stopped outside of the door to the swimming pool and changing rooms. Kyoko had shadowed them since they had gone past the library, waiting for the situation to calm down before she talked to Jon.

" **LANGUAGE!** You must be severely disciplined for _all_ your misdemeaners!" Taka yelled back, they were now standing face to face, neither backing down.

"Even _I_ don't need to tell you how wrong that sou-"

"Silence! You have insulted me, and you have insulted the rules! For that, you must be punished!"

"Can you let me finish my sentence you fucking - _oh_ god _damnit_!"

"Even when you are in front of me you can't control your language! This will not go-"

"What is going on out here?"

Suddenly, out of the doorway to the swimming pool and changing room, walked out the massive form of Sakura. As soon as she had arrived and had said those words, the two arguers went quiet.

Jon, quite comically, hid behind Sakura. 

"This fu- this _jäkel_ has been chasing me up and down the f- the hallways for the past ten minutes!" Jon explained. "All I wanted to do was eat! But _nooooo_ , this go- this _tâmpit_ has be-"

"Ok." Sakura interrupted him. "And Taka? What is going on?"

Taka's stood stiffly in front of Sakura. It looked like he was about to address a superior.

"This student has shown clear insubordination and truancy, ma'am!" He relaxed a little once he realized who he was talking too. "I-I mean, he needs to be-"

"Ok." Sakura repeated. She stepped out of the way, and spoke once more. "It is not wise to bottle up hatred and anger until it explodes like this. I suggest you talk it out, like adults." She stood against a wall, and let the two men face each other.

"Look, Taka." Jon began. "I'm really tired, and I apologize for being so, but I really just wanted to eat, and I'm in a little bit of a... cranky mood right now. Let's... let's just calm down for right now..."

Taka's body completely relaxed, and he folded his arms. "What you've been doing is unacceptable. However, I may have been wrong in dealing with it like this. We need to talk later about this, don't forget." 

"Yeah, yeah, that's fine." 

Kyoko watched the situation unfold before her. She was a little guilty for becoming impatient, but she couldn't help it. Not that you would be able to tell.

"Good! Meet me in the cafeteria before the nighttime announcement! Don't be late!" Taka marched off down the hall.

Jon sighed in what Kyoko believed to be relief, then he turned to Sakura. 

"Thanks for... for calming him down, and for calming _me_ down actually."

"It is no problem." Sakura said. "I am curious, how did this happen?"

"Well," Jon began. "The cafeteria is the only place you can eat here so-"

"Really? The storage room has a bunch of food too!" said a bubbly voice.

Kyoko looked in the direction it had come from and saw Hina, leaning out of the doorway to the swimming and changing room.

"...What?" Jon seemed exasperated.

"Y-you didn't know?" Hina chuckled awkwardly.

"No, no I _didn't_." he replied. "Why has no one told me about this?"

"B-because you didn't ask!" Hina laughed, but the laugh seemed hollow, and she was slowly backing away behind the door.

Jon looked like he was about to yell, shout, or anything, until he saw Sakura still standing in the same position she had been earlier. Jon sighed.

"Nevermind. Thanks again, Sakura." Sakura nodded, and she joined Hina and went back inside the swimming and changing room.

Kyoko saw this as her oppertunity, and before Jon could walk away, she approached him.

"I need you." she said simply.

"I like you too, Kyoko." he deadpanned. Kyoko felt slightly annoyed, but she brushed it off.

"I need you to translate something for me." She clarified. "I don't know what language it's in." She showed him the crinkled sheet of paper with the strange lines on it. 

Jon seemed genuinely interested, and he took the paper from Kyoko, and studied the side with the writing on it.

"Greek." he said. "It's written in greek."

"Can you translate it?"

"I'm the Ultimate Linguist, of course I can. Yes, do you have a pen?" He questioned, his palm outstretched to her.

"Why do you need that?" She crossed her arms.

Jon gestured toward the camera at the corner of the hallway. It wasn't focused in on them, but it was moving in their direction.

"The camera can't film your speech." she responded. 

Jon shook his head. "Microphones, they have _microphones_." he mouthed out the last part to her. Kyoko's patience was wearing thin.

" _How_ do you know that?"

"Just give me a damn pen, woman." he said harshly. Patience was wearing thin on both sides it seemed.

Kyoko sighed in frustration, and pulled out a pen from her pocket. She handed it to Jon, who flattened the crinkled paper against a wall, away from the camera's vision, which was now almost staring directly at them, and began to write on it. Several seconds later, Jon was finished. He looked at the paper, with a confused and slightly disturbed expression.

"This is a bit of a rough translation, but here." he said, his voice shaking slightly.

Kyoko took the paper, and read the now translated script.

" _Our leader has become infected with despair. We need to take him out. Meet me at the library._ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was actually going to be _much_ longer, but I decided to cut it in half to help with pacing, and to keep it at least a little manageable.
> 
> Seriously, I'm interested who you guys think will be the next to die. It will probably shock you.
> 
> (Then again, I thought that last time too.)


	13. Bro-Off

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had a bit of a hard time writing this chapter for some reason.
> 
> (SKYRIM SE FOR THA WIN)
> 
> Anyway, this is mostly a transition chapter between the last chapter and the event that will take place soon.
> 
> I wonder what it is.

"Do you have any idea what it means?'

"If I knew, I would have already told you."

It was a very strange message, especially considering their circumstances. Who is the 'leader'? Why did these presumably two people need to meet in the library of all places? And what did 'infected by despair' mean? Kyoko had no answer to these questions. And from the way Jon's face was still showing only a confused expression, he had no answers either. This was extremely distressing for some reason.

"I am curious." he said. "Not many people in Japan know how to write greek. And why would they need to?"

Kyoko did not respond. She was trying her best to find connections and answer her avalanche of questions. She found none. Her thoughts were interrupted by Jon suddenly pulling away, and she felt a distinct lack of paper in her gloved hand.

"Well, if you're going to stare off into space like that, I'll leave then."

Kyoko instantly locked eyes with Jon.

"May I have the paper back?" It was not a question, really. It was a demand. Jon hesitated for a moment, and then handed it to her.

"Right." he said. "I'm gone."

Jon walked down the hallway, and Kyoko contemplated the meaning of the message as she made her way to the men's bathroom.

* * *

Makoto felt very bad. He had tried to avoid a terrible situation, and in the end, probably caused one that would involve more people than just Jon and Taka.

"I swear, everytime I hear his voice, I get angry. It's true." Mondo said, getting up. "I'm goin' to the work out rooms."

"Hey." Chihiro said unexpectedly. "C-can I come with you?" Makoto, and everyone else in the room, did not expect a question quite like that. Mondo's face was a bright red, as he shakily replied, "W-why would you want to!?"

Chihiro looked down, and she looked like she was in deep thought. Then, she looked back up, determination in her eyes. 

"I'll tell you when we get there."

Mondo put a hand behind his head. "I-I mean, yeah, you can. If ya want to, I mean."

Chihiro beemed, and got up too. "Thanks Mondo!"

They both left the cafeteria, leaving only Makoto, Leon, and Sayaka in the room. The stayed in silence for a couple minutes, until Makoto came to a decision. He may have messed up with Taka and Jon, but maybe he could finally talk to Sayaka again. His hand felt the stitches at his stomach, which still itched, but not as much as they used to. Makoto decided enough was enough, and walked over to where the pair were sitting.

"Hey, Sayaka..." Makoto felt the words he was trying to say get stuck in his throat as Sayaka stared at him with ocean blue eyes. Her face a neutral expression that made him feel uneasy somehow. He quickly regained his composure, and said what he had meant to say.

"I'm sorry."

Sayaka's eyes widened, and her jaw dropped slightly. Leon was making a face that seemed to say, 'I have no idea what's going on', and Makoto continued.

"I'm sorry for avoiding you the past few days, it was very rude of me."

Sayaka continued to stare at him slack-jawed. Makoto felt like he might have said something wrong.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Makoto." she finally replied.

"Huh?"

"If I were in your position, I would probably do the same as you." she explained. "What I did to you was terrible. I should be the one saying sorry to you, really." she gave a sad smile.

"No, that's wrong!" he all but yelled. "You were manipulated into trying _that!_ I believe that you would never do something like that if the mastermind wasn't messing with us!"

Once again, it seemed like Sayaka was caught off guard. Then she gave a smile. Not one of those she would flash on stage, but a genuine smile that made Makoto's heart stop.

"Thank you, Makoto." she said. "But it still wasn't right. I promise I'll make it up to you, someday."

Before Makoto could say anything, something along the lines of 'you don't have to do anything for me', Leon spoke.

"Hey, Sayaka?" he began. "You think, after we get outta here and all that, you could help me, uhhh... get into the music industry?"

Makoto knew that Leon was suddenly saying that to steer the conversation away from what they were just talking about, but Makoto let it happen.

"Leon, do you want the truth? The _harsh_ truth?" she asked, looking at him with a mischievous gleam in her eye. 

"U-uh, sure?" he replied uncertainly.

"The music industry will crush you like a _bug._ " she said dramatically. "I'm not sure I can help you."

Leon's face was a deep red, and it resembled a kicked puppy, until Sayaka spoke again.

" _Buuut_ , since you asked so nicely, I guess I could _try._ " 

The look on Leon's face was too much for Makoto not to laugh a little at.

* * *

Jon looked at his invisible watch. It was a partly a sign of impatience, and partly a force of habit. No doubt someone would walk in and see what he was doing, and they would either ask him what he was looking at or they would snicker. Although, the person he was waiting for would probably do neither of those. He was waiting for Taka, of course.

If he was honest, he only agreed to meet him in the cafeteria as a way to get Taka away from him, but if Jon was anything, he was a man of his word. If only _Taka_ could be the same. It was half past nine thirty, or at least that's what the clock on the other side of the cafeteria told him, and he specifically remembers he and Taka agreeing to meet sometime before the nighttime announcement. Yet still, Taka was nowhere to be found.

 _If a man is late, that means he does care._ As Shinrai used to say. Maybe that applied here? Jon didn't know. He would wait here for a little while anyway, at least until the nighttime announcement.

...

...

...

Jon decided that if he _ever_ quoted that _nelegitim_ again he would disembowel himself with a desert spoon.

"I am terribly sorry for being late!" said a booming voice from the doorway. Jon looked that way and, what a surprise, saw Taka standing there, bowing. "Forgive me!" he finished.

"You're forgiven." Jon said, motioning to the seat on the other side of the table he was sitting at. He didn't care that Taka was 'late'. They hadn't set a real time to meet each other, and Jon wasn't in the mood to give him a hard time for it anyway. He needed to compromise with Taka in some way today, at least. "Take a seat. I think we have... ahem, much to discuss."

"Thank you!" Taka shouted. Jon had to suppress the urge to cover his eardrums when Taka yelled. If he continued to do that, Jon would most certainly regret this meeting.

"Ok well, first of all, can you keep it down? This place isn't full of people you have to shout over, ok? Just, talk normally." Might as well get the thing that would drive him crazy the most out of the way.

"I apologize." Taka said in a much quieter but still louder than it needed to be voice. "Now, to our discussion."

Finally, progress! "I suppose we could start off with my... cursing."

"Ah, yes! You do seem to have a problem with that! Normally, I give a warning and if it continues, I would give you a referral!"

Jon stopped himself from saying that Taka couldn't really do something like that, because there was no real faculty or staff around, except the monochrome _bear_. But he wasn't here to poke holes in Taka's thinking. Jon had to get Taka to at least accept him, and to maybe get on friendly terms with each other. It was definitely harder than he thought it was. That's another thing Shinrai would sa-

...

...

...

As soon as he was done talking with Taka, Jon resolved to go to the kitchen and get a knife to stab his own eyes. Things for later.

"How about this." Jon said. "I stop cursing, or swearing, from now on, and we let everything before this meeting go." It was a bit of a lopsided proposition, but he had to try.

Taka raised a hand to his chin thoughtfully, and Jon was nervous that he would not accept it. He calmed down when he realized he had no reason to be nervous. Taka had no _real_ power. In fact, he was only doing this so he could get on Taka's good side. He briefly chastised himself for not doing this earlier. Taka finally spoke again.

"I'm not sure. Your behavior thus far has been... less than satisfactory."

 _Cut me some slack, Taka, please._ he wanted to interrupt, to get his point across without having to wait for him to finish, but he kept his jaw clamped shut, and let Taka finish. He _needed_ to get on Taka's good side if he wanted everyone to get along better and, hopefully, survive.

"You swear on your name you won't swear after this meeting?"

Yes. YES! 

"Yeah, cross my heart!" He'd come off way too enthusiastic, and he had to bite back a cringe. However, it seemed to have convinced Taka. 

"Excellent! I accept!" Taka shouted, probably forgetting the agreement he had just made moments before. Jon had to keep quiet about it, get on his good side, can't risk any animosity, especially now that he was finally getting somewhere.

"Ok, well... That's actually all I thought about." Jon said apprehensively for all the wrong reasons. He had a feeling he knew what Taka was going to say, probably something about his 'truancy' as he had put it. He wanted to leave at that moment, but he couldn't risk the conversation going south, or ending abruptly, that would destroy _everything._

Luckily, or unluckily, he would later reflect, a big distraction came in at that exact moment.

And it's name was Mondo Owada.

"Aw, hell." he said as Jon saw him enter the cafeteria. At first, he thought his entrance would be a good thing. A convenient way to end the discussion here, and he _really_ wanted to stop everything here and now, before Taka could propose something. Bad enough he had give up on his swear words. They had become somewhat of a stress reliever for him, but he might have to make sure to either stay awake all night or set an alarm to keep from being late or get past his morning routine quicker if Taka was about to say what Jon thought he would say. Right now, Mondo felt like a blessing. He could end this before it got too ridiculous.

If only it had happened that way.

"You guys are here? What were you doin'?"

Taka stood up indignantly. "I _just_ got done talking to Jon about swearing, and here you are! You need to control yourself, Mondo Owada!"

_No, Taka, please. I beg you, don't do this._

"I was just gettin' somethin' to eat man! Stop bein' such a hardass!" Mondo shouted.

_Please, please! Don't do this!_

"Such _crass_ language! Proof that you are only a delinquent! And nothing else!"

And, as if thing couldn't get worse, _another_ person walked through the entrance to the cafeteria, and it was _Makoto_

"Oh, great, you're here too. Is Byakuya going to come in after you?" Jon thought aloud, which earned him two sideways glances from Mondo and Taka, and a confused expression from Makoto.

"Uh, I don't think so..." Makoto said, looking back behind the entrance and turning his head left to right. Jon was still impressed by Makoto's gullibility and way of taking things at face value. Couldn't he tell he was being sarcastic? He would have to talk with him again sometime soon. Right now, though, right now Jon had other problems.

"Ah, Makoto! You showed up at just the right time! I was just telling this delinquent here-"

"Oh, so it's ok for _him_ to come in here, but when _I_ do it, I get shouted at by this douche!" 

"Only because you can't seem to keep a lid on that mouth of yours! If we had an actual principle here you would most certainly be suspended by now!"

"There is only one way we can solve this!"

Jon saw Makoto visibly gulp, and he decided to finally end this before it got out of hand. Like it hadn't already.

"An... arm wrestling contest! We coul-"

"I have a _better_ idea! You, me, the sauna. First one to pussy out loses! And _you_ leave me alone!"

That sounded... how should he put it? Bent? He had to stop himself from shouting at Mondo. Jon _hated_ being cut off mid-sentence. But, as he had the entire time he had been in the cafeteria, bit his tongue as the two still argued.

"I accept your challenge! And if I win you have to pay for your transgressions!" Taka replied loudly.

"Alright! Time for a _**BRO-OFF!**_ "

_A what?_

"Indeed! A bro-off!"

 _Are these people speaking slang or something?_ Jon asked himself as the duo made their way to the entrance, shoving each other along the way and charging through Makoto, who had not moved since he had entered.

"You two!" Mondo bellowed. "You be there! Judge for us!"

Makoto seemed apprehensive, and Jon didn't blame him. However, Jon almost felt like he _had_ to go. After all, he did need to keep everyone alive (not that he has a done a good job thus far) and a situation like this can easily explode into something unrecoverable.

"Yeah, we'll go." Jon said, getting up. "Right, Makoto?"

Makoto had a look of absolute confusion on his face now, but he nevertheless followed the two arguers as they walked towards the sauna. Jon walked out after them.

They arrived several minutes later. Jon got there after Mondo and Taka entered the sauna, and Makoto was staring through the window.

"What are they doing?" Jon asked. 

"I... I actually don't know." Makoto replied. He moved out of the way, letting Jon see what was happening. What he saw was something he thought he would never see in his life.

Taka looked almost completely naked except for a towel draped across his lap. Mondo still had his jacket on, thank _God_ , but he had a towel comically over his pompadour. Both had determined expressions on their faces. The sight, to say the least, disturbed Jon.

"Jesus _Christ!_ he blurted out, and recoiled from the window. Quickly realizing that Taka may hear him through the door, he continued, "I really need him right now. You know.". It was a poor cover-up, but if he was lucky, only Makoto would hear it. However, Makoto either didn't notice or didn't care. He continued to look through the window, he did so in way that Jon was questioning whether Makoto was... different from others.

"Truth and justice shall always prevail!" Taka shouted. The voice was slightly muffled, but Jon still heard it quite clearly.

"Oh yeah? I'll show you! ARRRGGGH!"

Images flashed through Jon's mind, and all of them were inappropriate. He needed to download on to someone, and ask an opinion.

"Hey, Makoto..." Makoto turned his attention to Jon. "Do you think they're... bent?"

Makoto tilted his head in confusion.

"Ok, I'll put it bluntly. Do you think they're gay?"

" **I HEARD THAT, JACKASS!** "

" **LANGUAGE! **"****

Makoto's jaw dropped, but he quickly spoke. "I-I don't know, I c-can't just make assessments of people like that!" 

"Hmm." Jon hummed, and walked away. 

"W-where are you going?" Makoto called after him. 

"To sleep, they'll handle it themselves, hopefully. I'm tired." 

Jon left Makoto alone with the two arguers. 

* * *

The first thing Makoto heard as he entered the cafeteria was shouting. Not angry shouting, more like... playful shouting. When he entered the cafeteria, he found out who it was. 

"That was a good one, bro! You're really getting good at it!" 

"Thank you, bro! I try!" 

Mondo and Taka had apparently made up, and then some. Makoto left them not long after Jon had, he felt bad for doing so, but he was tired like Jon. He had gone to the cafeteria last night to get a quick snack, completely forgetting about the room with all the supplies, and just ran in on their argument. Now, it seemed, they were the best of friends. 

"That's a, uh... nice bromance I guess?" Leon said, leaning towards Jon, who sat next to him. 

Jon looked into Leon's eyes, dead serious, and said, "They're in a homosexual relationship, Leon, it's not a f- it's not a 'bromance'." 

Leon sputtered, and several other people in the cafeteria stared at Jon. Taka and Mondo however, didn't notice. 

"I can come up with a better one! Just you wait!" Mondo shouted. 

"I look forwards to it, bro!" Taka replied. 

Makoto looked around awkwardly, unsure of what to do, and then the monitor in the cafeteria flicked on. 

"Attention everyone! Get to the gym! _On ze duble!_ " Everyone recognized the familiar voice of Monokuma, and thus people already started to get up. 

"C'mon, bro, we'll get through this!" Taka yelled. 

Yeah, you bet we will!" Mondo responded. 

Makoto resisted the urge to cover his ears as he went to the gym. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's the motive gonna beeeeeee?


	14. Take Me With You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Motive Time!

Makoto entered the gym last, as seemed to be the norm. Everyone was already gathering around the podium, expecting Monokuma to pop-out at any moment. Makoto was worried this time. Who knows what Monokuma has planned at this point? It could be anything from starving them to a timebomb that would go off if no one murdered each other. The possibilities were endless, and that frightened Makoto above all else.

And, as suddenly as ever, Monokuma jumped up from somewhere beneath the podium. Makoto was sure there was a hole underneath it that he jumped out of, but he had never checked, and probably never will.

"My, my, my. You all are so _booooooooorrrrrrriiiiiinnnnng!_ I have stinkbugs that do more than you sloths!" Makoto saw Toko fidget for some reason. "You _never_ do anything interesting without me pushing you like this! Honestly, me givin' ya these motives is all your fault, if you think about it!"

"Get on with it you enigmatic pr- thing." Jon said, and pretty much everyone in the room shared that sentiment.

"Oi! Let me finish me dialogue! Anyway, your fault, sad, I'm gonna give ya your motive now!" Monokuma waved his hand in front of him. "Although, there is nothing to give ya except a promise. It's not like I can give you words or anything, wait, maybe I c-"

"Stop palavering, bear." Byakuya said, folding his arms. "Get to your point or let us leave."

"Jeez, you guys are no fun whatsoever, you guys are like a corpse at a child's birthday party! Fine, I'll give you your motive, or tell you your motive, as I was about to do, before _four-eyes_ interrupted me! Ahem, anyway..."

Monokuma stared blankly out into space for a few seconds, leaving everyone in a uncomfortable silence. Suddenly, he jumped in place several times.

"Oh, Oh! Slight change in plans, but I liked this one better anyway! So, here it is." Monokuma leaned on the podium, where a microphone that no one had seen somehow was placed. Monokuma spoke into it quietly, enunciating every syllable, and made sure no one could misunderstand his words.

" _The next student to murder another, has the option to take anyone with them._ " 

Makoto knew not to underestimate Monokuma's motives, he learned that last time. Makoto looked around the room, and noticed several people, though Jon was the most prominent, staring at Toko, who was grabbing on her braids and avoiding everyone's stare.

"W-why are you staring at m-me for?" she stuttered. "I-I would never k-kill anyone! I couldn't even d-do it if I wanted to..." Makoto saw Jon look away, and turn to face the podium where Monokuma had disappeared from sight when they weren't looking.

" _And_ he disappears. Great, fantastic, _fandabidosey!_ I _hate_ that monochrome bear." he growled.

"Don't worry! This 'motive' should be a piece of cake! Isn't that right, bro?" Taka shouted, patting Mondo on the back. 

"You said it, bro! Ain't no one goin' to kill someone over something like that!" They both laughed, while everyone else looked around awkwardly. But soon, people began trickling out of the gym. Toko noticeably trailed farther behind Byakuya then usual, which Makoto thought was strange. Other than that, it felt like business as usual. Everyone went there separate ways, and Makoto was about to get something to eat, until he noticed Jon and Kyoko walking away, together. Curious, Makoto followed. 

"I'm giving you something again." Makoto heard Jon say. 

"Is it another translated message? Or anything important? I don't like wasting time." Kyoko said, crossing her arms. 

"You tell me. It's a f- it's an _enigma_ to me. Tried to find out for hours what it meant, abso-lutely _nothing_ came to mind, I wanted to see if you knew anything." 

Makoto decided to make his presence known. He didn't like spying on people, and it felt wrong to eavesdrop on their conversation like this. Unfortunately, he chose one of the worst ways to say hi. 

"Uh, hey guys! What are you talking about?" he said. The glare Jon gave could stop a rampaging rhino in it's tracks. 

"Oh for _God's sake!_ You know what, I'm still fu- I'm still giving this to you with him here. I don't even care anymore. Here, take the stupid fuc- take the stupid paper Godda-" Jon facepalmed, and took several deep breaths. "Just, take the paper." 

Jon forced it into Kyoko hand, and she studied it for several seconds, before looking back at Jon. 

"Where did you find this?" she asked, the anger behind her voice was obvious, despite her monotone. 

"I found it in _that_ room." he said, not so conspicuously gesturing in Makoto's direction, which both alarmed and confused Makoto. He should have just kept his mouth shut, now it seemed like things had only gotten worse with him around. It felt like that was happening a lot recently, and Makoto would be lying if he said it didn't make him feel a little bit like a liability to everyone around him.

"Y-you found it in the room?" Kyoko's mask cracked for only the briefest of instants, and Makoto was slightly disturbed by the burning anger he saw behind it.

"You didn't ask, so I didn't tell." Jon replied simply.

"I can't believe you." she said, her voice slightly quavering with fury that Makoto had never seen. "You didn't tell _anyone?_ No one at all? This is _ridiculous."_ Kyoko looked like she was having a hard time keeping her voice down.

"I don't need you to lecture me on keeping secrets, china doll." Jon snarled. "If I recall, you still haven't told anyone about your Ultimate Talent. Something like that shouldn't be worth keeping a secret, unless it is something _very_ bad. Are you part of a crime syndicate, or did you forget it? _Christ._ " 

"..." Kyoko looked away, and said nothing. No emotion showed on her face, and she seemed like she was trying to calm down. Makoto felt an aweful feeling in his stomach from the situation he appeared to have caused. Maybe if he wasn't here, their argument may not have gotten so bad. He felt nothing but guilt.

"I don't want _this._ " She threw the paper to the ground, and her voice was back to the monotone Makoto had gotten used to. "Good bye."

She walked in the opposite direction from Jon, and she was walking faster than she usually would. Jon bent down, and picked up the sheet. He turned to look at Makoto, and Makoto gulped.

"Take this." Jon whispered. holding out the sheet to Makoto. Makoto took it gingerly, with his hands trembling slightly. He didn't know why he was shaking like this. He hadn't spoken the entire conversation (another thing that seemed to be happening a lot), and there really was no reason to. Maybe it was the look Jon was developing. It was somewhere in between a scowl and an anxious expression that he had not stopped showing since yesterday. Jon looked like he had washed his clothes, _finally_ , but he was developing very noticeable bags and dark rings around his eyes. He also looked like he had lost weight. Not a lot, but he was definitely skinnier now than when Makoto first met him.

Makoto shook away these thoughts and read the paper now in front of him.

**Mukuro Ikusaba**

**Talent: Ultimate Soldier**

**Background: [REDACTED]**

Makoto had no idea what the paper meant, so he raised his head to ask Jon a question, but Jon had vanished.

* * *

__

Jon was tired. Oh yes, very, _very_ tired. He couldn't sleep though. No, he could _never_ sleep in his own room anymore. The speakers in the _goddamn_ walls have seen to that. Jon had always been a bit of an insomniac. Some days were better than others. Sometimes, he could sleep almost the entire night, other times, he would stay up the entire night. But the microphones, and the _goddamn_ speakers have made sure that there is no variation in insomnia. Jon knew he would probably not get a good night of sleep ever again in this _Höllenloch_ , not while those _goddamn_ speakers are still there, but he couldn't risk breaking one of the rules over it, that would just result in his death. 

Jon had never seen someone die from breaking the rules. But he somehow knew that Monokuma was not playing around in that respect. Of course, he had bargained his way out of being made an example when he _foolishly_ decided it would be, in his anger and grief filled mind, a good idea to shoot the camera that had been keeping a watchful eye on him since he had gotten here. The thing also had a microphone and speaker in it too. He knew it, he _knew_ it. At least he was able to make a deal with Monokuma about it, and it felt like such a _fair_ deal at the time.

_Trying to justify your failures again?_

There it is. The _glorious_ voice of the Ultimate Voice Actor himself, _Shinrai Sakushi_. The voice made Jon want to claw at the walls like he was some caged beast desperately trying to escape. It felt like someone was rubbing their nails against a chalkboard, _unrelentingly_.

" _Je vais vous gut vivant et puis baiser votre cavité thoracique vide! Je vais vous couper les yeux et faire des dés de vos dents!"_ Jon screeched, covering his ears and curling up in his bed.

_I could never understand a word you said when you lapsed into a different language, but I didn't need to. The inflection in your voice was enough. Lucky for me, I had the ol' knife with me..._

Jon instinctively clutched at his chest, trying to protect it from an attack that had happened years ago. Damn the rules, he was going to break down the walls with a sledgehammer if he had to. _Annihilate_ the speakers he _knew_ were buried inside of them. In fact, at that moment, he felt like burning the entire _goddamn_ place down.

_I must say, Mister Uragiri, this Despair debuff is not good for you!_

That was completely unexpected. He recognized _that_ voice. The voice of the Ultimate Fanfic Writer, or something like that. Hifumi Yamada. How? Jon barely even spoke to the guy, besides the introduction he kinda just forgot about the poor fat bastard. He felt slightly bad for forgetting someone so thoughtlessly, but Hifumi barely talked with anyone besides Cel-

Jon shivered as that name crossed his mind. He blocked it out. He made a promise to himself after the trial to just not think about her. For some reason, every time he thought about her, he just wanted to curl into a ball and cry. Not unlike what he was doing at that moment, but...

_I would ask if you had blocked me out too, but I already know the answer._

" _I will end your pathetic life, you sleazy, pale-faced, waste of oxygen! _" Jon shouted at the top of his lungs.__

_Ah, you lapsed into English that time. I'm keeping track, you see. It's just like old times..._

__"Fuck you, fu-"_ _

_Ah, ah, ah, breaking your promise, Jon. I know how much you_ value _promises and vows. I know many other things about you too, like where your Uncle goes to work..._

"Stop it, _stop it_ , **STOP IT!** " Jon yelled. He was going insane at this point, he knew. He had to get out of this room, go somewhere else, relax, and more importantly, get away from the _goddamn_ speakers in his room. The motive had put undue stress on him, besides, he should be patrolling the halls anyway. Make sure no one is trying to kill each other. He didn't have to worry about people coming after him, obviously, not with the M1911 in his pocket keeping him company. He pulled it out and traced his fingers along the ridges and contours of the metal forming the barrel. It soothed him just to have it in his hands, almost like having a stress ball, but without the squeezing.

Jon got up from his bed, and made his way to the door to the hallway. He knew where to go. The _Library_ of course. Reading had always been a comfort to him. Even in his darkest moments, reading always provided an escape.

 _You can run, but you can't_ HIDE.

Especially now of all times. He opened the door, and stopped himself from slamming it behind him. He closed it as calmly as he could in his half-crazed state of mind. Jon looked down the hallway just in time to see a door close. It was two doors down from his, but he didn't care. Not then, anyway. He realized he could be doing two things at once. He could be patrolling the hallway, and getting a book to read. It was a _perfect_ plan. As he walked quietly down the hallway, he began to sing to himself. The sound that came out was soft, almost lullaby-like.

_"Dweud a ddoi di eto n’ol. Cariad bach er cilio’n ffo."_

Jon felt calmer than he had for the past week. It felt strange, but he had the oddest feeling of _déjà vu_ as he sang it. It felt _right_ in a way he couldn't describe. 

_"Nid yw’r haf I mi. Ddim ond hirlwm. Er pan gollais ti..."_

He stopped singing as he got to the library. He idly wondered what book he would read first. Maybe _Stranger in a Strange Land?_ Jon remembered that one quite fondly. Or maybe one of Toko's books? They almost certainly had one there. Romance novels are one of Jon's guilty pleasures. He would never tell anyone that he read them. Not anyone _here_ anyway. He hoped they had a translated copy. Jon could read japanese as well as anyone who grew up with the language, but he much preferred books being written in English. It reminded him of his childhood.

He opened the door to the library, and as soon as he did, all of his musings vanished and his mind went blank.

Lying in the middle of the library was Toko Fukawa.

Jon stood stock still for a good five seconds before forcing himself to run over to her. There was no blood around her, thank the _lord_ , but she looked de-

"Oi! Who the fuck are yo-" Jon saw Toko jump up with _incredible_ speed, and then sneeze immediately afterward. Then, she was back to the stuttering old Toko he knew. He was dumbstruck by the sudden change from only moments before, but he shook it off and spoke.

"What the f- what are you doing here, Toko?" Jon hissed. Toko looked at him with a mixture of fear and animosity. 

"I-I don't know!" she squeaked a reply. 

Jon facepalmed. He was tired and really just wanted a book to read. 

"All right, whatever. Just go to your room, ok? It's dangerous to be out around this time." 

Toko shuffled nervously, as she looked at the clock. "I-it's almost s-seven..." 

"Are you _serious?_ " he asked incredulously. He looked where Toko's eyes were and saw that she was right. It was only five minutes until the morning announcement played. Jon groaned in frustration. So much for enjoying a good book. 

"Fine, go to the cafeteria, then. I'll be there soon." he said, walking past her. 

"F-fine." she replied, and quickly sped-walk out of the room. 

It was certainly frustrating for Jon. He had just wanted to get a book, and instead he had gotten the crap scared out of him. He supposed he should be thankful for the brief tranquility that he had before coming here. At least there were no real bodi- 

... 

... 

... 

_Mein Gott._

... 

_Verdammt, Fickfehler._

* * *

Makoto was awoken to the sound of someone banging on his door. Not knocking. Actual, _frantic_ , banging. He had a dream that night involving a door, his sister, and his old room at his parents house, wherein he was telling his sister a scary story, as the door was first knocked, then banged on until he woke up. He groggily got from bed. As he approached the door, he could here shouting. Very faint, but he could still hear it. They must have been shouting really loud, if Makoto could hear it behind the supposedly sound-proof walls of his dorm.

He opened the door, and saw a very _very_ distressed Jon. Several people were outside their rooms, everyone except Chihiro, Byakuya, Mondo, and Toko. Jon was looking around wildly, and was shouting in languages no one could understand.

" _Hvers vegna? Af hverju gerði þetta að gerast!?_ Again! AGAIN! _Ik zal u verscheuren voor wat je hebt gedaan!_ "

"Calm down, Jon." said the stoic voice of Sakura, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Tell us what is wrong."

As she did this, Jon calmed down slightly. Then, he finally spoke in a voice they could understand.

"Library. _Library!_ There. NOW!", he led them to the library, where the doors were opened. Makoto felt a wave of apprehension and terror. He did not, for whatever reason, want to go into the library. He went against his gut instinct, and went inside with everyone else. He saw nothing out of the ordinary. 

"Hey, man, is this some kinda joke?' Leon said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"No joke, NO! Behind BOOKSHELF!" Jon was pronouncing and yelling words at different pitches and varying levels of pronunciation. Whatever was here, had either made him so mad he couldn't form coherent sentences anymore, or scared him so bad that he was in shock.

Probably both.

" _A body has been discovered!_ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're wondering where I got the song Jon sings here, it can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhUNEtV-nPc
> 
> I feel like I'm going to be kicked out of the fandom for who will be killed off next, but what can ya do?


	15. Broken Vows

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...How many of you think it's Chihiro?

Makoto was frozen in place. He hadn't even turned around the bookshelf when he heard the announcement, only Kyoko had, and then it went off. Makoto really, _really_ did not want to turn the corner. But, if the announcement had already come on, then it was too late. There was nothing that could be done except investigate now. And, that usually involved finding out who, and why, someone had died, which in turn involved actually seeing the body.

Makoto did a quick head count. Sakura, Hina, Hiro, Junko, Leon, Taka, Sayaka, Kyoko, Jon, and himself...

It had to be Byakuya, Chihiro, Mondo, or Toko that was murdered. He didn't want it to be any of them.

Makoto steeled himself, and turned the corner.

...and immediately screamed out of pure shock and horror. The sight before him may have been one of the most graphic things he had ever seen. The first thing he saw was blood covered blonde hair, and then broken glasses on the floor, and then...

The corpse in front of him was Byakuya Togami.

He was pinned to a wall by two, blood covered scissors, that pierced his palms, effectively crucifying him. His eyes were wide open, but his face was otherwise completely expressionless. Blood dripped from his forehead, and his hair was almost drenched with it. His glasses were on his face, but one lens was gone, while the other was cracked. His suit was completely untouched. The word's 'Bloodlust' were on the wall behind him.

The sight was, to say the least, incredibly disturbing. The next thing to happen was disturbing as well.

As Makoto was busy analyzing the sight, letting it burn into his retinas, the others had seen the body as well, and were talking among themselves. At this point, he noticed Chihiro had joined the group from somewhere, and Mondo was standing at the doorway.

"Bro! It appears our predictions have been proven untrue!" Taka said, facing in Mondo's general direction.

"Ah, jesus. 'right, who was it this time?" Mondo grunted.

"It was Byakuya Togami! I must say, this was complete-"

"Ah, that guy? Serves him right." Mondo interrupted. "Guy had it comin', if ya ask me."

"Appalling! You mustn't take such a callous approach to one's death, bro! No matter whom it may be!"

"Whatever, who do ya think did it?"

Taka stopped when Jon began muttering to himself. Everyone turned to look at him. Compared to before, Jon appeared calm, but it was a strange kind of calm, like the serenity that one may find in the eye of a hurricane. A temporary calmness before the storm returns in full force.

"Damnit." He whispered.

"Excuse me, Uragiri! I believe we had a-" Taka tried to speak, but he was interrupted once more by Jon saying, louder this time, " _Damnit._ "

Taka stamped his foot on the floor. "Jon Uragiri! You do not just break a d-"

"Damnit, _damnit_ , _**damnit**_ , _**DAMNIT!**_ "

Jon went into a flurry of shouts and curses, most of which were in other languages, or otherwise just didn't make sense.

"Don't you _fucking_ get it Taka!? Useless! **USELESS!** I am fucking _useless!_ It's all over! **DONE!** I couldn't stop this from happening! _Jag är värdelös, du Mörön!_ _Diabhal go léir!_ "

"Hey, don't talk to bro that wa-" Mondo tried to say, but Jon continued his rant, now focusing on Mondo. 

"And what are you going to do to me, huh? Kill me!? String me up by my hands like a puppet!? I'm sorry to say, _friend_ , but someone has beaten you to the punch! And the worst part of it is, is that it all could have been prevented! _Jeg er så lei av det! Syk av det! Pare de mudar de idioma! Pare! Pare!_ "

Jon beat himself on the chest and shook his head frantically. He then walked in a jagged, confused line to the corpse of Byakuya.

"Yes, **YES!** It could have _all_ been prevented if I wasn't complacent! Now look at what has happened! I've _**FAILED!**_ _Verdammt, Fickfehler._ You shouldn't have been so stubbornly prideful, and I shouldn't have been so _stupid!_ _No! Noli esse in lingua! Prohibere! Prohibere!_ "

Jon, now finally starting to calm down, took a deep breath. "Now we shall both suffer." was the last thing he said before going quiet and sitting down at the chair Byakuya sat at before.

The room was silent after Jon was finished. Makoto was stunned. The last time he saw Jon like this was when the first motive was unveiled. Just the memory of his video made Makoto shiver, and he couldn't blame Jon for the way he acted after it. Still, Jon and Byakuya weren't exactly close. Byakuya wasn't close to anyone here, either. So, why was Jon acting like this now?

"Are you all going to stand there, or are we going to do something about this?" Kyoko said, pointing a gloved finger to Byakuya's corpse.

"I-indeed!" Taka said. "I believe we should have someone guard the crime scene! Shall we have the usual people do so? Sakura? Bro?"

"Yeah, yeah, I got it."

"Yes."

"Alright! With that settled, let's begin!" Taka declared.

"I don't think I want to look at his... body." Junko said suddenly. "I can't, not since... last time."

"I understand! You may go wherever you please until the class trial begins!" Taka answered. Junko nodded, and exited the library.

"I-I never wanted _this_ to happen..." said a quiet voice.

"I-I know he w-wasn't a good guy b-but... murder? Why can't we just-" The voice was Chihiro, and she was crying. 

"C'mon, Chi. It's alright, we'll get through this. Promise, ok?" Leon said, giving Mondo a 'please help me' look. Mondo rubbed the back of his neck, and approached.

"Y-yeah! I mean, he wasn't even a good guy any- I-I mean we'll get through this, yeah! We'll stop this from happening from now on!" Even though Mondo's words could only be described in the loosest way as 'comforting', Chihiro seemed to appreciate the effort. Makoto looked away, and decided to try and find out what had happened to Byakuya. It was the least he could do for him. He approached Byakuya's body.

It only got more gruesome as he got closer. He could see every drop of blood drip from his forehead. As he stared at Byakuya's body, he noticed something peculiar. While his head was drenched with blood, his hands, which had two scissors pierced through them, had a little, but not nearly as much as what he had saw on his head. Makoto got closer to Byakuya's head, and saw his eyelids. His eyes were wide open, yes, but they were almost a little... _too_ wide. Like they were pushed away. 

Makoto had seen the words 'Bloodlust' on the wall, but he couldn't understand what they were supposed to mean.

"Hey... Mondo?" said a voice from behind Makoto. He turned around and saw Jon. He had been sitting on the chair silently since the investigation had started. He was looking up at the ceiling now. His eyes glazed over.

"Uh... yeah?" Mondo answered apprehensively.

"Remember when I agreed with Byakuya that this was a game?" Jon asked, he was now looking in Mondo's direction, but it felt more like he was looking all around him instead of directly at him. Makoto remembered what Jon was talking about. He also remembered Jon never elaborated. He eavesdropped guiltily. He was curious, and he strangely wanted to know what Jon wanted to say.

"Yeah, you said that, and then never said anythin' else." Mondo replied, his expression hardening. 

"I've changed it a little bit. This is more like a puppet show." Jon said, looking back at the ceiling. "We are all puppets, and we are held up by strings, whether we know it or not. And some people's strings... are more tightly held then others. Does that make any sense?"

"That sounds like somethin' someone in an aslum would say." Mondo said quickly.

"It's pronounced 'a-sy-lum' Mondo." Jon corrected.

"Whatever." 

"Yes, whatever." Jon got up from his chair and walked towards Byakuya's body. Makoto could not shake the feeling that Jon was trying to tell them something, but he couldn't imagine what it would be.

"Uragiri! A word in private, please!" Taka said, walking towards Jon. 

Makoto began looking around the library before he heard what Jon's response was. He had already listened in enough. Besides, there was more important things to do at the moment. He looked at Byakuya's body one more time. He noticed nothing out of place, until he saw what the back of Byakuya's head looked like.

There was a gaping hole. And Makoto was pretty sure he could see his brain. He screamed, and recoiled into Kyoko who was inspecting some other part of the body. They went down, both releasing an "Oof!" as they hit the ground. Makoto was quick to scramble and get up. The whole incident lasted maybe ten seconds, and when Makoto was standing again, Kyoko was still on the ground.

At first, Makoto was worried that he had knocked her out, but she slowly sat up, and blinked a few times, with a vacant expression. Her features hardened a moment later, and she got up off the ground. Makoto was glad that he didn't seem to have hurt her, but now he was scared she would be mad at him.

"Please, watch what you're doing." was all she said, before going back to investigating Byakuya's body. Makoto was stunned. He expected a few harsh words, or a glare, but he had got none, and now Kyoko was acting like nothing had happened.

As much as he didn't want to, he didn't get a good look at the back of Byakuya's head, so he had to look again, just to be sure. When he did so, he realized that he had been overreacting, or maybe he was just spooked by all the blood. Byakuya _did_ have a large indentation at the back of his head, but it certainly wasn't a hole or anything, and he didn't see anything besides that.

"Alright, Taka, alright! I get it, now, can you _please_ let me do something productive?"

"Fine! But we will need to speak once more after this business has been concluded! As you were!"

Makoto looked in the direction of the voices and saw Jon heading to Byakuya's body, away from Taka. He stopped when Kyoko spoke.

"What do you think you're doing?" the ice in her voice was apparent to everyone in the room.

"What do you mean 'what do you think you're doing'? I'm looking around, trying to find crap, like _everyone_ else."

"Really? You may try to hide evidence from us again, maybe you already have." Kyoko was apparently still angry about what had happened yesterday, and even before that. Makoto saw a glint of raging fury in her eyes.

"I will never do that again. I can strip nude right here if you're so f- if you're so _suspicious_. I'll give _everyone_ a show." Jon 'suggested'.

"You will not touch this body, or go anywhere near it. Go somewhere else." Kyoko hissed icily.

" _Christ._ For someone I assume doesn't like to show emotion, you sure rely on it a lot, don't you? Fine, I'll go investigate over _there_ , then." Jon walked towards a door in the library that was ajar. Makoto had never noticed this door. Then again, he had only been in the library twice. Makoto saw that Kyoko watched him all the way until he entered the doorway into the next room, then she turned away. Makoto felt like Jon may have unwittingly offended Kyoko in some way.

Makoto wanted to check one more thing before he asked people if they saw anything. And that was the floor. When he stepped, it sounded like there was some sort of powder on it. He knelt and tried to pick up some of it. It almost looked like sand, with little black specks in between.

"It's pepper." said a calm voice behind him. Makoto turned his head, and saw Kyoko kneeling near him, and her mouth was moving. 

"How did yo-"

"It tastes like pepper." she clarified. Makoto was surprised to say the least. Had she picked some off the floor, the floor _everyone_ had walked on so far, and ate some of the powder? That was... kinda disgusting, if Makoto was honest. He would never do that, that was for sure.

"You have to be thorough when investigating." she said, getting back up. 

_Thorough is one word for it_ , Makoto thought.

"I think I know who it is." said a voice from the far side of the room. Makoto looked and saw Jon, leaving the doorway he had entered a minute before, holding a file.

"Oh, really?" Kyoko said, "I doubt you could find out who it is this quickly. Impossible, in fact."

"There is so much venom in your voice I could call you a Cottonmouth, but I digress." he said, walking towards a table.

"What is that?" Sayaka said. She had been sitting at the table with Leon since Byakuya's body had been discovered.

"I hope you have a iron stomach, Sayaka, you're about to see something... graphic." He put the file on the table, and Makoto tried to read it, but it was in a language Makoto couldn't understand. He looked at Jon pleadingly. He felt like Jon had found something important, and this time he hadn't hidden it from everyone.

"Well, what does it say? I can't read lines and squiggles man." Leon whined.

"Alright. It's in French by the way, and it says, "Genocide Jack Case File."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will release investigation parts in smaller bits. It's more organized that way.


	16. Suspicious Behavior

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second half of the investigation! Hopefully, this one was better then the last.
> 
> (Hopefully)

"...wait, what?" Leon questioned.

"I did say it clearly, right? Ge-no-cide Jack. If you didn't hear it that time, let me know." Jon deadpanned.

"Smart ass." 

"Language, Leon! Don't want to be in the same hot water as Jon here, right?" Taka informed Leon.

"N-no, I'm just asking... who is Genocide Jack? And what does he have to do with all this?"

 _Is this guy serious?_ , Jon thought. Were these people living under rocks or something before they came here? Even _he_ had heard of the famous serial killer, and he barely used anything related to the internet. Maybe they forgot when they got here? It was better to think of it that way than any other way, so he went with it.

"I think I remember Genocide Jack... he's a serial killer, right?" Makoto thought aloud.

"Give the guy a prize." Jon replied.

"Wait, let me get this straight." Mondo said. "This is a... case file, about a serial killer? How does this help us? I think we woulda noticed a serial killer would be one of us by now."

"Serial Killers are often masters of deception and concealing their true selves." Kyoko answered. "They could have been living among us, without us ever truly knowing their nature, until they decided to strike."

Oh, so _now_ she's going to back him up on something? Kyoko was an _enigma_ to Jon. He could, and probably would never know what she was truly thinking, and that bothered him quite a bit. Whatever. Right now, he had to show them _why_ he decided to bring this to everyone's attention. He probably should have brought a bucket for those with weaker stomachs. Yasuhi-... Hagakure would probably need one. 

Wait, where the hell was Hagakure?

Jon looked around as everyone else bickered among themselves. He finally saw Hagakure in one of the book asiles near the opposite side of the library. From the looks of things, he was reading a book.

Or _trying_ to read a book, knowing Hagakure. Jon looked back at the table, and reached for the file. He interrupted the conversation that was currently going on with a cough.

"Ahem, now then, if you would brace yourselves..."

He flipped over the cover of the files, revealing a blank white page. Jon felt blood rush to his face as he saw it. _Good job making a fool out of yourself, fatuus._

"You sure this isn't a joke, man? I didn't know _this_ was the kind of humor you are into."

"Yes, Jon." Kyoko said. "Explain this please."

Oh, Jon wanted to just curse Kyoko in _sooooo_ many different languages. Maybe this time he would try Hawaiian. No one understood it, so Taka would be off his back. Then again, Hawaiian wasn't guttural enough... maybe German?

Jon shook these thoughts away. _Focus._

"You guys are in for a surprise." he said with a smirk, and flipped over the white page. 

He was surprised to hear screaming, but it was still satisfying nonetheless. The screaming in question came from three people: Makoto, Leon, and, strangely, Mondo. If Jon was in a better mood, he would probably poke fun at their high-pitched voices. But, he was neither in a good nor joking mood. And besides, he didn't exactly blame them for having such a reaction at the page that was displayed before them. It was probably more violent and more gruesome than any violent video game they had played or movie they had watched.

The images that caused such a reaction from the three men were pictures of 'Genocide Jack's' victims. Most of them were crucified by the very same scissors that now pierced poor _Fickfehler's_ palms over yonder. All of the victims were young, mostly attractive men. One of the victims even bore a striking resemblance to Byakuya, which caused Jon a slight amount of distress when he was paging through the file in the 'File Room', as he would come to call it. For a moment, _only_ a moment, mind you, he thought that he may have been caught in some weird time paradox, or maybe he was in the actual, _literal_ , Hell. But, his sensible mind took control a moment later, and he took the file for everyone to see. One final thing of note were the words that were either found on or near the victim, which read 'Blood-lust'.

"Gruesome, isn't it?" he snickered.

"I'm gonna have nightmares, man! Why didn't you warn me?" Leon whimpered.

"I _did_ warn you, but you didn't listen!" Jon laughed.

"I've seen some things," Mondo said, "but someone has to be _really_ fucked up to do somethin' like this to guys."

"Language, people, _language!_ " Taka reminded them.

"I'll talk to ya later about this whole swearin' thing, aight bro?" Mondo put his hand on Taka's shoulder.

"I would like that! Maybe we can come to an agreement!"

"That wasn't exactly what I had in mi-"

"No need to explain bro! I know _exactly_ what you mean! Until later then!" Taka interrupted, and then walked off, seemingly pleased that he was in control of the situation. Jon wanted to say to him 'You have no _real_ power, Taka. It's an illusion. No one _really_ has to follow you. And as soon as they do, it will be a rude awakening." but he culled his tongue for what felt like the millionth time. Damn this agreement. _Damn both of them, in fact._ But, again, he had to focus.

"I really need to get him to... loosen up, ya know?" Mondo sighed.

"Are you guys ok?" Chihiro asked tentatively, walking out from behind a bookshelf.

"Don't worry, we're fine!" Sayaka reassured Chihiro, and then looked back at Jon. He had almost forgotten she was there. She had been quiet the entire time. No smart remarks at his slight blunder, no reaction to the _horrible_ pictures that were placed in front of her. Nothing. She reminded him of Kyoko in a way, and he was _not_ ok with that. Jon could barely handle one Kyoko, let alone _two_.

"Now, what does this have to do with anything?" she asked.

"You're serious!?" he replied astonished. Are these people fucking blind? If he could make these connections, then _surely_ they can. It's not rocket science, it really isn't!

Jon pointed at the file. 

"Look at this." he said, and then pointed towards Byakuya's corpse. "And then look at that." He pointed from the pictures to the corpse several times in an exaggerated way. "Can you find Waldo?"

"...Who's Waldo?" Makoto asked.

"Christ... alright, these murders look a lot like Mr. Cadaver over there. And I think this serial murderer is among us." he finally explained, exasperated. 

"I thought you said you found the culprit." Kyoko said. "This proves nothing. This leads to no one."

"Oh, fine then. I love you too, Kyoko. Let's get _hitched._ " when in doubt, resort to sarcasm. That was one of Shinrai's saying's t-

Jon was _this_ close to pulling out his pistol and putting it at his temple. Whatever, if Kyoko was going to be this hostile, then he might as well be off.

"It doesn't explain the pepper on the floor, does it?" Makoto said absentmindedly.

Pepper? On the floor? Hmm...

Oh.

_Oh._

_It was you wasn't it?_

Jon made the connection fast. The pieces clicked into place. It all made sense.

"Staring off into space, Jon?" Sayaka said, leaning her head on her arm.

"Yes, it's very spacey." he replied. "I'll leave you all alone. _Adieu._ "

"Where are you going?" Kyoko questioned.

"I'm going to see a _friend._ " Jon said, walking towards the exit.

"I'm surprised you have any friends." she sighed.

Jon stopped, and turned around.

"You're very funny, Kyoko." he began. "Now, I'm going to find a killer, and you can stay here and fondle dead bodies as much as you like. Personally, _I'm_ going to do something worth doing, and save us all." he didn't stay long enough to see her reaction, but her silence was enough.

He made his way to the dorms, and stopped when he reached a certain door.

Toko Fukawa's door.

He should've suspected her from the very beginning, really, all the signs were there. The sneeze, the thing she said when he first found her. Christ, even the _location_ he found her should've been a red flag. Whatever. It doesn't matter now. He will not let her slip by unnoticed like this. Time for your penance, _Toko Fukawa._

Jon pressed the doorbell. He tapped his foot impatiently, waiting for Toko to open the door. After what felt like a minute, the door slipped open by a crack.

"O-oh, it's you..." said a quiet voice from behind the door.

"I need to talk with you." Jon demanded. "Right. Now."

"T-the only person I w-want to talk with right n-now is my white k-knight..." she replied, keeping a steady gaze on Jon.

"That will be a bit difficult." she blinked. "Impossible, in fact. He's dead." It was blunt, even for him, but he needed to let he know he was serious.

"W-WHAT!?" she screeched. The door flew open as she recoiled, allowing Jon to push a hand through and force the door open, allowing him access. He didn't enter, however, he would not fall into any potential traps this _meurtrier_ might have set up.

"And, I think I know who killed him." he yelled over Toko's screams. As he said this, she became silent, and stared at him with distrust.

"W-who!? Who could p-possibly take him a-away from me!?" She whimpered pathetically. Jon was getting _real_ fed up with her feigning ignorance. If she was going to act like this, might as well go all out.

"Stop playing stupid, Jack. It was _you._ There's no one else it could be. Just admit it." he stated. It was dangerous to accuse someone like this, _especially_ a known serial killer, but he was dangerous too, wasn't he? Ol' M1 will protect him.

"How d-dare you...!" she seethed. "Get out, get out!" she screamed, she batted her arms in front of her and slammed the door in Jon's face.

"Toko! _Toko!_ You black-haired _whore!_ Open this door, goddamnit! I'll break it down and then beat you into the fucking ground! _Open up!_ " In his rage, Jon forgot the agreement he had made with Taka.

Jon slammed his fists on her door several times. Then stopped. It wasn't worth it. She would be revealed during the trial. He was _sure_ of that.

_On a roll. Breaking all your promises, eh Jon?_

"You shut the fuck up Shinra-" he began, and then he stopped. 

_No._

Jon waited for several moments, but he heard nothing more. They must have set up more speakers, or they were just starting to use them in the hallways. Damn you, _Shinrai. Damn you._

Jon calmed himself down, and began to formulate a plan. It was somewhat crude, but he decided to go through with it. He would show everyone that Toko was the murderer. He would prove himself to them. So, he went to the kitchen, and grabbed some pepper. It was slightly less full then he was expecting, but that didn't bother him. Not then anyway. As soon as he got the pepper though...

" _Alright, ya slow pokes! TRIAL TIME!_ "

* * *

Makoto watched as Jon left the library. For some reason, as Jon left, he heard Kyoko muttering to herself. She obviously wasn't doing it on purpose, and he could barely hear it, but he could _just_ make out a few words.

"Very funny? I'll show you _very_ funny... Like _I'm_ not doing something important..." were a few of the words and partial sentences that she was mumbling. Makoto decided to ask if she was ok.

"I will be, when we finish this." she replied, and then she turned away. Not two seconds after, however, a familiar high-pitched voice pierced through the air.

"Sheesh, you guys are getting at each others throats when you should be working together! How _hopeless!_ " It said. The voice was coming from behind one of the bookshelves, and then Monokuma appeared. It looked like he was reading a book, only Makoto couldn't see it. What he did know, however, was that it had a girl with skimpy clothing on it. Suddenly, he didn't care what Monokuma was reading anymore.

"Aw _hell._ " Mondo shouted. "What the frick do ya want, bear?"

"No need to be so hostile, bro!" Taka tried to calm Mondo down. "Maybe he will have something important to say! Something to help us!"

"I hate to say it, but Morality Man over there is right!" Monokuma chirped. "I was going to give this to ya guys earlier, but I was too distracted by that Badasses little freak-out. Seriously, you'd think he was losing his mind or something! Anyways..."

Monokuma pulled out a black tablet.

"I present to you all... the **MONOKUMA FILE!** Maybe you can get some things outta it, but honestly... I doubt it! Puhuhuhu..." Monokuma walked behind a bookshelf and probably disappeared. Makoto didn't know. He was focused on the tablet that now lay on the floor. He was going to pick it up, but Kyoko beat him to it.

"Hmm." she hummed. "Interesting..."

"What?" Makato asked.

"There isn't a Time of Death." she replied. "Besides that, this doesn't tell us anything we don't already know, sadly." Kyoko handed the tablet to Mondo, who began to read it. 

"I need to check on something. I'll be back, if the announcement doesn't play before then." Kyoko said, before leaving the library. Makoto felt oddly alone after she did. He could not explain why. Without anything else to find in the library, Makato was about to leave, until Sayaka came up to him and told him something.

"I don't know how important this is." she said. "But, I saw someone leave the kitchen yesterday. It looked like they were holding something."

Makoto didn't know how to respond, until Sayaka continued. 

"I followed them, but I saw two people in the hallway."

Makoto looked at the pepper still on the floor, then looked back at Sayaka, who nodded. 

"I saw Toko, Mondo, and Junko in the Hallway." she finished.

"Thanks, Sayaka." Makato said, smiling.

"No problem, Makoto!" She replied.

After that, Makoto decided to leave the Library, but just as he was about to exit...

" _Alright, ya slow pokes! TRIAL TIME!_ "

* * *

Kyoko Kirigiri wasn't mad. No, she was _furious_. Jon had consistently gotten on her nerves, and the thought of him being involved with this investigation at all annoyed her to no end. It wasn't just that he hid things from her, from _everybody_ , but he had the gall to do so so casually, so thoughtlessly, that angered her the most. 

It didn't matter anymore, she tried to tell herself, he's gone somewhere else, probably yelling at someone for _daring_ to walk his path (and hiding evidence. Don't forget about that, Kyoko.). Right now, she had suspicions about the murder weapon, suspicions that needed to be assuaged before the announcement went off. She was headed to the girl's work out room.

When she got there, however, she found that the boys work out room door was strangely ajar. She went inside, but found nothing amiss. That was, until she found a dumbbell that was suspiciously smaller than the other ones around. That just raised more questions around the murder weapon. It didn't help that the dumbbell really clean, compared to the ones around it. She went to check the girls work out room, but...

" _Alright, ya slow pokes! TRIAL TIME!_ "

* * *

Makoto heard the announcement, and sighed. It was time for another trial, and another life would be lost. He just hoped that this trial wouldn't be long. Although, with Jon and Kyoko acting the way they were, it seemed likely. Makoto could already imagine it. Both of them arguing over something so trivial. And after that they would argue over nothing at all. Makoto dispelled these thoughts. They would do him no good. Right now, he needed to try and get through this.

Makoto opened the door, and walked down the hallway. On the way, he saw Junko.

It was strange, though. She was clutching her side, an panting as if she was out of breath. One arm was against the wall, holding her up. It looked like she had just run a marathon. Makoto called out to her.

"Junko? You alright?" he asked.

"Y-yeah." she breathed. "I-I think I'm a bit.. outta shape. Embarrassing..." She stood straight up after a minute, and then smiled at him.

"Don't worry about me! It's fine, really. Let's go, alright?"

After that, it seemed like nothing had happened. Junko walked perfectly fine, and she was no longer breathing heavy. Though, Makoto did see that she was limping slightly. Not much, but just enough for it to be noticeable. After a while, they arrived at the elevator doors. Makoto and Junko seemed like the first to arrive. The others trickled in. The only ones who didn't show up at the time were Kyoko, Jon, and Toko.

Makoto briefly wondered what happened to them, until he saw Jon walking briskly into the room without speaking.

"Where have you been, man? We've been waiting for you!" Leon said.

"I was about to predict whether you were going to come at all!" Hiro exclaimed, pulling out his crystal ball.

"Really?" Jon blinked, ignoring Leon's question. "And how often are your predictions correct? I've wanted to know that for awhile now. Pray tell. I would _really_ like to now, _clairvoyant_ " Jon did airquotes.

"At least 30% of the time!" he replied.

" _Mein Gott_ He's a con man!" 

"No I'm not! I am completely honest!" 

"Completely honest... 30% of the time. Yeah, I'm _never_ using your services. Ever."

"C'mon! You don't need to be so harsh..."

While that conversation was going on, Kyoko entered the room silently. Makoto looked at her, and she looked back briefly, before turning her attention to the hallway, where screams were now audible.

"Let me go! _LET M-ME GO!_ "

Monokuma was dragging Toko to the elevator. Makoto thought she would come on her own. He was patient. Monokuma wasn't apparently. Makoto wasn't surprised by that.

"Stop squirming, ya twat! It's time to explore the semi- _open world!_ " Monokuma pushed Toko into the crowd. Where Jon looked at her, and snickered.

"Get ready for your comeuppance, _Jack._ " he said.

"Wait... did you just call her Jack?" Sayaka asked.

"Patience. All will be revealed this trial. Rest assured." he replied.

"Oh really?" Kyoko whispered. "You should pay attention Jon, you might learn something." she said aloud.

"Is there something between you guys?" Hina questioned. 

"No." they replied in unison.

"Ok! Let's get the show rollin'!" Monokuma squeeled. "Time to go down into the dark below!"

The elevator screeched, and then silently it moved down. Makoto prepared himself for the trial that was to come. He could, however, feel the tension in the room. No one was talking, but Jon and Kyoko kept glaring at each other from across the room, and unfortunately, Makoto was right in between them. The elevator came to a halt, and the thirteen students entered, knowing that only twelve of them would be leaving

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next part will be the trial. Looking forward to writing one of _those_ again.


	17. Humbled (Part 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's this!? I'm adding _parts_ now!? What the hell am I thinking!?

The first thing Makoto heard when he entered the trial room was Jon exclaiming:

"Oh, what the _hell_ is that doing here!?"

Makoto followed Jon's gaze and saw two new portraits that stood where two of their classmates should (or would) have stood. At first, Makoto thought Jon was talking about Byakuya's portrait. It would make sense, given his outburst earlier, but no. Instead, his gaze was glued on to Celeste's portrait. 

"What's wrong, badass? Can't stand her pale skin? It always creeped me out, really. Or is it her hair? I mean, _look at it!_ That's unnatural!" Monokuma laughed.

"I find that ironic, coming from you. But seriously, is it _really_ necessary to have those here. Can't we just take them down?" Jon said.

"Absolutely _not!_ Your classmates can't be here in body... well, actually, I could do that, but they would just stink up the place! A stinky debating room isn't a debating room at all! Speaking of debating... **GET TO IT!** "

Makoto saw Jon sigh, and then he took his stand. Everyone else began to follow his example. Makoto gulped, and then took his stand as well. The trial room was different from when they were here last. Last time, it was a grey, square room with nothing detailed. Just grey concrete. This time, it looked like a battlefield. Craters were visible in certain areas, and he was sure he saw ruined barbed wire in some corners. Dirt littered the floor, but only partially. He could see the dark grey concrete beneath it, but just barely. Thankfully, there weren't any bloodstains anywhere, which Makoto considered a small mercy.

"Ok! Y'all know the drill! You're here to find the one who murdered four eyes! If you don't find them, I'll punish all of you! But if ya do, I'll only punish them! With that out of the way... **LET THE TRIAL BEGIN!**

"I would like to begin by addressing a mistake!" Taka shouted. "That's not the proper way to handle scissors! Usually, you hold them in only one hand, with the blade facing away from you! That is to insure that you do not hurt yourself with them!"

"Yeah... like we didn't already know that..." Hiro muttered.

"I am merely making a correction! Nothing more!"

"Well, if you're done...?" Junko said. "I think we have more important things to discuss..."

"Yes, we do." Jon agreed. "In fact, I'm just going to get this out of the way right now."

Makoto did not like the way Jon said that. It sounded like a super villain who was about to reveal an evil plot. It turned out to be more benign then that, but at the time, Makoto shuddered as Jon reached into the pocket of his jacket. However, he didn't pull the hand out, and he kept speaking.

"What are you going to say, Jon?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah! Stop being so cryptic!" Hina concurred.

Jon's eyes narrowed. "I'll be cryptic, when I _want_ to be cryptic. But for now, I'll tell you this..." Jon paused. "I'm looking at the murderer. Right. Now."

Makoto looked where Jon was looking, and saw a very nervous Toko. She was fidgeting, and it only got worse as everyone else turned to look at her. 

"W-why do you keep blaming me f-for my white k-knight's death?" she whispered. "I-isn't it enough that I have to l-live without him!? Why do y-you have to d-do this to m-me!?"

She almost looked like she was going to cry. Makoto pitied her, and apparently several other people did too. Hina and Leon glared at Jon, who still stared at Toko.

"Dude, you're making a girl cry. C'mon." Leon said disapprovingly.

"Why do you attack girls all the time!? Is there something wrong with you!?" Hina yelled.

"It's nothing wrong with _me._ It's not _my_ fault the only people who have killed, or _almost killed_ ," He glanced at Sayaka, who turned away from his gaze. ", are mostly women. Don't _ever_ blame this on me."

"Nonetheless." Sakura interrupted. "I believe we should start from the beginning. It will not help us to throw accusations this early on."

"Y-yeah, I guess we could." Hina stuttered. Mumbles of agreement rang out from everyone else. Sakura looked at Makoto.

"Would you mind summarizing all that has happened so far?"

Makoto didn't know why Sakura asked _him_ specifically. But he accepted, and went through the events he knew about.

"I think we were all woken up by Jon at around 7:00 am. The morning announcement didn't play, but that wasn't the highlight. Jon was extremely distressed. He led us to the library, where we found Byakuya's body, and then the body discovery announcement played." he summarized the best he could.

"Interesting... why didn't the morning announcement play?" Kyoko asked Monokuma, who had been still as a statue since the trial had started.

"Ah, well, I thought that badasses babbling would be enough to wake y'all up. It saved me a few button presses! Seriously, I should just give you guys an alarm clock so that you wake up to him every day!" Monokuma squealed.

"I just asked why the morning announcement didn't play." Kyoko replied sternly. Makoto could see the disgust in her eyes from Monokuma's 'suggestion' though.

"Oh, but is that _really_ what you're asking?" Monokuma said thoughtfully. "I think your _really_ asking me is if that has anything to do with the murder, and to answer your question... drum roll please... no."

"I see." Kyoko said, closing her eyes.

"Yep! _ABSOLUTELY NOTHIN'!_ You thought you were onto somethin', weren't ya? Some big bad conspiracy? Too bad! I just wanted the badass to wake you up! It was a lot more funny to watch, let me tell ya..."

"Ok." Kyoko said. "I would like to know why you were outside you're room at such a time, Jon."

Kyoko's question did not seem to catch Jon off guard. He did, however, seem to get angrier.

"Oh, I know what you're asking me, Kyoko." he seethed. "You think _I_ had something to do with the murder, don't you?"

"All I said was-"

"I _know_ what you said. You want to know why I was out, and then you'll try to connect me with the murder, is that it!?" Jon was almost yelling now.

"If you _must_ know, I was walking around trying to find a book to read, until I found that bi-... that person over there lying on the floor."

"You could have been 'patrolling' just as you did last time." Kyoko shot back.

"And just like last time, _I_ have a witness. Please, divert your attention to-"

Jon was interrupted by Taka shouting:

"No! I don't care what you do, but do _not_ involve bro in this! I am certain he has nothing to do with this!"

Jon glared at Taka. He curled a hand into a fist and held it in the air above his stand. Makoto was certain he was going to slam it. But, he seemingly calmed himself down, and finished what he was going to say.

"-the black-haired _chienne_ over there." he pointed in Toko's direction. When that happened, she became more distressed.

"W-Why can't you j-just leave me alone!?" she screeched.

"Because, _Toko_ , we were both in the library last night, were we not? It will only look worse for yourself if you lie. And trust me, I will _know_ if you lie."

"I-I was never in the l-library last night!"

Jon began rubbing his forearm on his stand.

"What are you doing, Jon?" Sakura asked.

"Sorry, I think I'm getting hives. You see, I'm allergic to _bullshit!_ " He slammed a fist on the desk for emphasis.

" **LANGUAGE!** We are going to have a _serious_ talk over your breach of conduct, Jon Uragiri!" Taka shouted.

"We won't have a 'later' if this _lura_ doesn't confess!" Makoto saw Jon reach further into his jacket's pocket, and his hand was moving as if he were gathering something up beneath the black fabric.

Makoto watched as the two of them argued. He felt bad for Toko in a way. She had basically lost the only person she cared about. It didn't help that Jon was accusing her over his murder. The last time Jon acted like this was when-

( _You can't trust anyone, Makoto._ )

Makoto pushed that thought away. There was no reason to doubt any of his friends, but one of them _had_ to be lying, right? And he thought he had a good idea...

"Toko... why were you hiding out in your room all day? Jon woke us all up, why didn't he do so for you?" he asked.

Toko curled her braids in between her fingers. Looking at the floor, she spoke softly.

"I-I was already a-awake..." she mumbled. "I d-didn't want to see a-anyone..."

"Oh, is that the whole truth?" Jon sneered. "You're leaving a part out, _Toko._ "

"S-Stop saying _my_ name like t-that!" she screeched back. "Y-you're just-just-"

"It would explain why Jon didn't seem to go after Toko's door, when he woke us all up." the calm voice of Kyoko prevailed. "It would be reasonable to assume that Jon thought Toko was awake and around, and didn't need to go for her. From that, you can also assume that Jon already met Toko, awake."

"Which would be where he said it would be, in the library!" Makoto finished.

"Not necessarily, but given the current situation, it would be reasonable to assume that as well." 

"You're very enigmatic. Anyone ever tell you that, Kyoko?" Jon said. "One minute, you and I are glaring at each other from across continents, the next, you and I are in agreement! Hell, you even _prove_ or support what I say at times. Why? Who's side are you on?"

"I am on the side of truth." Kyoko answered, and then she went silent.

Makoto mulled over her words a bit, and then turned to Toko.

"So, Toko... what really happened?"

"A-alright, fine! I-I was in the library last night. But it was only because... Byakuya... was there! H-he even invited me..."

"Wait," Leon interrupted. "He invited... you?"

"Y-yeah... is that r-really so unbelievable?" Toko grabbed her own shoulders. "I-I know what you're getting at... you're wondering how such a _wonderful_ man could _ever_ indulge a hideous creature like me ..."

"Well... Yeah, actually." Leon replied.

" _Leon!_ " Sayaka scolded.

"What? She's the one who said it, not me!"

Sayaka face-palmed. Makoto wanted to get back on track, they had wasted enough time as is.

"Ok, well, I guess we could hear the rest of what Jon has to say?" he suggested.

"This guy has some sense, you people could learn from him." Jon said, pointing at Makoto. "Alright, allow me."

"I was going to the library to read a book, as you know, when I saw _Toko_ laying on the floor. I went to her, and she just jumped up and said something really strange, and then she sneezed."

He looked at Makoto. "Makoto, do you know why she sneezed?"

Makoto thought about it. The answer quickly became apparent. There was nothing else it could be.

"The pepper. On the floor. It would explain that." Makoto said. "But I don't know how that ties into anything..."

"Yeah, it doesn't make much sense, does it?" Junko said.

Makoto tried to find what Jon was hinting at. He bowed his head. He had called Toko 'Jack' every once in a while, He said she said some weird things when he found her in the library...

"I can tell from your blank expressions that you don't know why I brought it up." Jon said. "Let me make it clearer for you."

Jon leaned on his stand, and explained his thought process.

"Remember when I brought out the Genocide Jack Case File? Byakuya looked an awful lot like one of his, or _her_ , victims. I found Toko in the same place I found Byakuya's body. Toko was acting weird when I first found her, but quickly began acting like her old self again when she sneezed, probably due to the pepper on the floor. Can you connect the dots?"

"Nope, I'm lost." Hiro sighed.

"I expected that Hagakure, you aren't the sharpest tool in the shed." Jon dismissed.

"Aw c'mon man I- wait, why did you call me by my last name?" Hiro asked.

"Because I can."

"I believe I know what Jon is insinuating." Kyoko said.

Makoto looked up, and saw that Kyoko had her arms crossed, and she was staring at Jon.

"Oh really? Have you now?" Jon said, amused. He was smiling slightly. It was a small, almost patronizing smile. Makoto also noticed that Jon's hand was out of his jacket's pocket, and it looked like he was grabbing something. This made Makoto slightly nervous, but he listened to what Kyoko had to say.

"Yes, I do." she replied coldly. "You believe that Toko Fukawa and Genocide Jack are the same person, don't you?" She leaned on her stand.

If Jon's hand wasn't holding onto to something, from his body motions, Makoto saw that he was going to clap. He then turned again to Makoto.

"That's all well and good Kyoko, but I asked Makoto over here."

"W-well..." Makoto stuttered. How could they be the same person? Isn't that impossible? Unless...

"Does she have a... split personality?" He said apprehensively.

" _Muy buen!_ " Jon exclaimed. "Yes, that's what I think! And I think I know how to trigger it..."

"W-what are you g-going to d-do?" Toko said quietly, backing away from her stand.

"Why, Toko, I'm not going to _hurt_ you, I'll let Monokuma do that when I eventually prove you guilty." Jon said, in a pseudo-friendly voice. He held it out his hand, and uncurled his fingers, revealing black and white powder. It was pepper. "Someone, keep her from moving."

"Jon, I don't like where this is going." Leon said seriously. "What you said just seems... wrong."

Makoto agreed with Leon. He did not like the way Jon was acting right now. It was like watching a cat creep up on a rabbit, the latter of which was cornered.

"I believe the trial has not gone on long enough to prove or disprove anyone's innocence, certainly not long enough to resort to drastic measures." Sakura said sternly, whom also backed away from her stand, and was facing In between Toko's and Jon's direction. Makoto knew this was a bad situation to be in, but he felt powerless to stop it. What could he do? He'd probably make the situation worse somehow. That's all he seemed to do nowadays. He watched as Jon slowly walked in Toko's direction.

"Jon, don't do this." Sayaka pleaded. "I have a _really_ bad feeling about this."

"Is it your 'intuition' that says that, Sayaka? I told you _all_ that I would reveal all, and to do that, I will need this," Jon waved his hand that had the pepper in it, "and her to do so. You will all thank me for this." He stepped closer to Toko, who continued to back away, clearly frightened.

"G-get away from me! Get that _s-stuff_ away from m-"

Before Toko could continue, Jon blew the powder into the air. Toko was still a little bit away from Jon, but the pepper still reached her, and more importantly, reached her nose.

"And now," Jon said, "you will all see!"

Toko stood completely still for several moments, and then-

" **ACHOOO** "

Makoto saw an instant change in Toko. Her eyes were no longer a dull gray, but blood-red color. Her tongue rolled out of her mouth like a red slug. The final nail in the coffin that let Makoto know that this was no longer Toko Fukawa was what she said after she sneezed.

"'Wassup Bitches!?"

"W-what is this?" Hina asked to no one in particular.

"What happened!?" Mondo said. "What happened to ya, Toko?"

"Pah! Toko is such a boring name!" the red-eyed thing in Toko's body said. "Genocide Jack, at your service! Or better yet, let's go with Genocide Jill! Always thought that one fit me better. Damn internet forums! Can _never_ get the name you want... anyway! What's goin' on?" Genocide Jill looked around the room. "Ah, Master. Your still one of the hottest men I've ever met. Even in picture form I can feel my legs weakening just looking at you..." 

"...guys I'm sorry. I swear, if I knew that this... thing was going to be like this, I would have never have done this." Jon apologized. "Leon, I need to ask a favor of you." he continued.

"Y-yeah?" Leon stuttered. He was apparently still surprised, and probably somewhat scared, of the sight before him. Makoto couldn't exactly blame him, either. This 'Genocide Jill' had an insane glint in her eye. Her tongue almost looked like it had a mind of it's own, as it seemingly defied gravity. All in all, Makoto would probably have nightmares tonight.

"When this ends, I want you to kick me in the testicles whenever I do something that even resembles this situation, ok? Can you do that?"

"Y-yeah." Leon repeated.

"Ah! I hope you don't mind me being there too! You guys aren't really my type, but I would kill for the opportunity to see that! In fact, I have! _Kyehahahahaha!_ "

Genocide Jill swayed in place, and then her face became serious. 

"Now, which one of ya murdered _Master!?_ I will fucking cut you into a million pieces, and then stomp on what's left! Was it you, Mojo Jojo!?" Out of nowhere, Jill pulled out a pair of razor sharp scissors, and pointed them in Jon's face.

"Wait, me? Did you just call me-"

"Nah, 'was talking to the guy behin- _Of course it was you!_ There's only one Mojo. Wait," she put down her scissors. "Nah, couldn't have been you, you don't have the balls to kill anyone."

"...I can't tell whether I should be mad or not."

"At least, you won't after Lele gives ya an ol' kick in your gentleman vegetables! Ha! I would really like to see that by the way. Call me."

"Leon." Jon said, his voice quavering. "Don't do what I just told you to do. I don't want to give her a show."

"y-yeah!" Leon agreed.

"Awwwww! don't be like that! It'll be _tons_ of fun! If only he could join in..." Jill walked towards Byakuya's picture, and grabbed it.

"I wish _I_ could have killed him. I wouldn't 'ove done it, he was too hot to die! But still... At least I got to see his _handsome as fuck_ blue eyes one more time! Ah... I'm wet!" She then licked the side of the portrait, which made Makoto _extremely_ uncomfortable, to say the least.

" _Enough!_ "

Everyone's attention was on Jon again, who looked both angry and fearful at the same time. "You've all seen her! It _had_ to be her! There's literally no one else it can be!" he pointed in Genocide Jill's direction. "I mean, just look at her! Do you really want her to be among us, now that you know what she is?"

"Oi! Your makin' it seem like I'm some sort of hideous creature! I may be on the outside, but on the inside, I'm a _true_ artist!" Jill said, waving around a stainless scissor in the air menacingly. 

"You kill people for no reason, that's not art you _psychotische hure!_ " Jon yelled. It was clear, even to Makoto, how scared he was of the situation he had created. He had either not planned it out fully, or he didn't anticipate Genocide Jack, or _Jill_ , to be quite like... this.

"Does a painter or a sculpter have a reason for doing what they do!? _No!_ They do it because they're passionate about it! It just so happens that _this_ girl is into blood and gore as a form of expression!"

"Jon, I believe you will get nowhere if you continue to argue with her." Sakura said. "For now, you will have to live with your decisions, and explain your viewpoint."

Jon looked at Sakura, and replied sadly, "You don't know how true that is, Sakura." He took her advice, and returned to his stand, his head down. As soon as he returned to his seat, he returned his gaze to everyone around him.

"You've seen her now." He said softly. "How can it be anyone else? What else do you want me to say? I've given you all the information I have, it's all you'll need."

"Sorry to piss on your potch, _Mojo_. But as much as I wish your were right, I'm 'fraid that you are not correct! Unfortunately I didn't kill _master!_ "

The way she held her face in her hands, and salivated over herself, made Makoto happy that Byakuya did not have to see this.

""You know what I hate more than serial killers?" Jon said, his voice rising slightly. "Liars. I absolutely despise them. And if your going to continue to _lie_ , then we have nothing more to discuss. Let's just get this over with. Monokuma!"

"Eh!?" Monokuma jumped, as if he was asleep. "Are ya guys done yet? You've all just been talking and talking and _talking!_ I fell asleep! Are you ready to vote? Is that it?"

"Yes." Jon replied simply.

Makoto wished he could agree with what Jon was saying, but he just couldn't. Something was missing, something important, he was sure. What was it though?

"No, we aren't." said a cold voice.

"What?" Jon growled, looking in the direction of the voice. It was Kyoko.

"We are not done yet." she said. "You are missing something important."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed that. Genocide Jack/Jill/Syo/Shou/whatever the fuck was a lot more difficult to write then I thought she'd be. I hope I did her justice, but I doubt it.
> 
> As a side note, I'm probably going to rewrite parts of the beginning of this story. This does mean that the next part will take longer to get out (I know, you're heartbroken), but I can't bring myself to continue onward without addressing issues, some very _big_ issues, from the beginning. Only parts will be rewritten, not whole chapters, so it shouldn't take too long. If you see random jumps in word count in the near future, that's where it's coming from. The rewritten parts might not change much, so you don't have to read them to understand some things you'll see in the future, I just wanted to do this so that new people won't be put off by the, admittedly, sub par (even by my standards) writing in the beginning.
> 
> With that ramble out of the way, hope you all have a good day!


	18. Humbled (Part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOLY HELL THIS CHAPTER IS THE LONGEST ONE YET.
> 
> (Good thing it basically wrote itself.)
> 
> Alternate chapter title: Jon and Kyoko shout at each other for about 2 hours.
> 
> (Now watch as I _butcher_ Genocide Jill's character even more.)

"What am I missing, Kyoko?" Jon asked, spreading his arms out. "There is a literal _mountain_ of evidence that points to that _psychotische hure_ being the killer. What could _possibly_ disprove it?"

"The psychotche- whatever the fuck has a name, you know! If ya keep saying thing's like that, I'll fuckin' cut ya!" Jill hollered

"If you took one look at the body, then you would know that she couldn't have done it." Kyoko replied. "The key is both the body and the file you brought out. While you've been chasing ghosts, Makoto and I have been investigating. _Trying to save everyone's lives._ Maybe if you had done a little searching around, we wouldn't have to deal with _her_."

"If I took one look at the bod- _motherfucker_ , you wouldn't even let me _near_ the body! Don't try and pull that _shit!_ I brought the file out so you would be able to tell that the body and the victims of Genocide Jack were killed in the same style! _Idiota!_

" **People!** Due to the gratuitous amount of vulgar language displayed by a few individuals, I'm afraid I'll have to punish you! After this trial, _No more dinner!_ " Taka boomed.

"Tick-Tock, ya couldn't enforce that, even if ya wanted to to! 'Sides, all I need to sustain myself is the blood of my victims! Which is in a low supply in this bunker!" Jill laughed.

"I dunno. You guys aren't even makin' any sense anymore!" Mondo shouted.

"Can everyone just calm down!? We need to either vote or find out who actually did it!" Junko yelled.

"I'm with Jon on this one. That 'girl' gives me the creeps! I mean, just look at her!" Leon added to the cacophony.

"Again, with that! I am a _woman!_ If ya want, I could show you!"

"Aw hell! Sayaka!"

Leon hid behind Sayaka, the latter face-palming as he did so.

"Aw, c'mout Lele! Got somethin' to show ya!" Jill pulled out a pair of scissors, her tongue licking her lips.

"Can we please stop arguing? Please?" Chihiro said in a quiet voice.

"I can't even hear the my own thoughts!" Hiro shouted, putting his hands to his ears and cringing.

"Stop being cryptic, Kyoko! I'm _sick_ of you! If you have something to say, fucking say it!" Jon shouted, pointing an accusing finger in Kyoko's direction.

"Quoth the Linguist: I'll be cryptic, when I _want_ to be cryptic." Kyoko replied.

"Oh, you're very _fucking_ funny! _SO FUCKING FUNNY! Die tuleen!_ Sick of your _bullshit!_ " Jon was shouting up a storm, and Kyoko just sat and stared at him.

Makoto watched as the situation spiraled out of control. If there was any time he felt absolutely useless, it was now. If only he knew what Kyoko was talking about, maybe he could do something. If they had both been investigating, saving everyone else's lives, then they would have done so by now, right? Would they be in this situation? A murdering psychopath, an indignant Linguist, and a perturbed mystery girl, all at each others throats. And, while it wasn't necessarily his fault that the trial had devolved into a shouting contest, he couldn't help but feel like he should be doing something about it. But what would he know?

At that moment, Makoto felt hopeless.

_Wait._

Kyoko had said that the 'key is both the body and the file', right? It was obvious that Genocide Jack's, or Jill's, favorite method of... murder was slicing people up and crucifying them with her scissors. And, while Byakuya certainly was crucified by her scissors, something didn't quite add up... but what was it?

...

...

_His palms. And his head._

It was his palms and head. Yes, he had been crucified by those scissors, but there was not _nearly_ as much blood as there was on his head. His head had a big indent as well. Probably by some blunt object, a very _big_ blunt object, judging by the indent in Byakuya's head. The amount of blood would suggest that the injuries to his palms were done _after_ he died, when the blood flow stopped, but that would mean-

"Ok then, _Luder_ , since you're so fucking _connected_ to Makoto over here, let's hear what _he_ has to say!" Jon shouted.

"Huh?" Makoto's train of thought was interrupted by Jon calling his name. Still, he thought he had enough to tell whether Jill was innocent or not.

"Makoto listens to reason! He's _certainly_ worked it out! He will tell you who it is!" Jon continued. "Unlike you, his brain isn't clogged by pent-up emotion! He believes me! He _knows_ it's Genocide Jack!"

"Am I jus' gonna be ignored or some shit? 'lright, I'll just stand here and admire _master's picture!_ "

Jon looked at Makoto, his eyes filled with anger and... something else.

"Tell them, Makoto!" he said. "Tell her! You know the truth, don't you? I can see it in your eyes! You've figured it out!"

"Uh-um..." Makoto stuttered. He was conflicted. He had to tell everyone what he knew, but he was scared about how Jon would react.

"You know something I don't, do you? Something that will _prove_ her guilt!" Jon said. "You will see! especially _you_ , Kyoko! You'll see that _I_ am right!"

"If Makoto has truly figured it out." Kyoko finally said. "Then I wonder who he will truly prove wrong."

Jon blinked, and then yelled: "Enough with your cryptic _fucking_ bullshit! Makoto _has_ figured it out, and he _knows_ it's that _whore_ over there!"

"Oi! 'ho you callin' a whore!?" Jill screeched. "I already told ya! I didn't kill master! I really wish I did! But I didn't! Give it a rest, Mojo! Even _I'm_ gettin' sick of your rants!"

"You lie! _You lie!_ " Jon shouted. "It was you, it was all fucking you!"

At that moment, Makoto made a decision. He was going to tell everyone what he had to say, no matter what. He knew now that the killer could not be Genocide Jack. He didn't know who the killer was, yet, but with the help of Kyoko, maybe he could. But he needed to make that information known, and if that meant he had to hurt Jon in order to save everyone else...

_I'm sorry, Jon._

"The killer is Genocide Jack, you _fån!_ "

**_YOU'VE GOT THAT WRONG!_ **

"...What?" Jon asked softly.

"There's no way it could be Genocide Jack! The evidence doesn't match up!" Makoto elaborated.

"..." Jon stood, shocked. Makoto tried not to shrink away from the flood gates that he just pulled the lever for. He knew that look. It was the same look Jon had when the first motive was introduced. His eyes closed, grabbing on to something, with his head down. However, Jon opened his eyes. It looked like he had actually calmed down, He turned to Makoto, and was probably about to say something. Unfortunately... 

"It seems Makoto has evidence to disprove your theory, Jon." Kyoko said. "I suppose your theory isn't as airtight as you believe."

At that, Makoto saw an instant change in Jon. His expression contorted into a deep scowl, he turned to Kyoko, and shouted the loudest anyone had ever heard him do so.

" _ **Ist das so!? Ich werde deinen Kopf abschneiden und ihn auf eine Spitze in der Mitte des verdammten Nahen Ostens montieren! Versuchen Sie und tun, dass Scheiße wieder! Du traust dich ja nicht! Du traust dich ja nicht!**_ " he shouted in a very guttural way, his voice sounded gravelly.

"Jon, calm down!" Leon tried to calm him down, but instead of shouting at Kyoko he now shouted at Leon.

"Calm down? _Calm down!?_ " he repeated. "This _bleka hora_ has the _audacity_ to say shit like that! Are you trying to defend her, Leon? Do you have a secret fucking crush or some shit? I thought that spot was reserved for Sayaka over there!"

After that, Jon did something really strange. He turned to Hifumi's portrait, still crossed out by the blood colored X, and yelled at it. 

"You shut the _fuck_ up, Hifumi! You weren't even there!" 

The trial room went quiet. Even Jon seemed surprised by his outburst. Makoto didn't know what to think. He had expected the shouting, Jon seemed to do that a lot, but to shout at a portrait of someone? That seemed insane. Still, Makoto had to explain to everyone what he had figured out, or else they wouldn't get anywhere. 

"I-I uh..." The words got caught in his throat.

Jon had his head down, with an unreadable expression. Makoto turned to see if Kyoko was ok. Her face had not changed. It was the same neutral expression she had had since the trial started. She stared at him, as if to convey 'go ahead'. 

"Speak your peace, Makoto." Jon mumbled, and then he was silent. The trial room was quiet. Even Jill was standing perfectly still. 

"Well," Makoto finally said. "you see the blood around the palms? There is some there, but not a lot. And his head has a _lot_ of blood on it."

"Get to the point." Jon growled. His expression still had not changed, but he was now looking at Makoto.

"Uh-um... I think the scissors were done after he died." Makoto stuttered out.

"Hmm." Jon hummed, and then just looked down at his stand, silent.

"He's right! Ding ding ding ding! You see, I _did_ use my scissors, but, unfortunately, Master was dead..." It looked like she was sad, but Makoto wasn't sure. How could she be sad if she always killed people? It dawned on Makoto that she wasn't sad at him dying, she was sad that she _wasn't_ the one who did it. "Master was already dead when I planted my scissors into his _beautiful_ palms. I even got to look at his eyes again! Ah, they were still cute even when glazed over and dead!"

"Hmm, and how were you in the same area as the body?" Kyoko asked.

"I dunno!" Jill answered. "One second, I was in one place, then I was in another! Saw someone run away from me when I found master's body, but couldn't get a good look at them! Damn glasses..."

"There will be some harsh punishments later today!" Taka yelled.

"Aw, shut yer trap, Tick-Tock! You ain't even in this conversation! Anyway, I went to go to sleep, but I couldn't find anywhere to do so! I just thought 'fuck it' and slept on the ground! I woke up for a second, saw Mojo, and blacked out again, and now I'm here! With you all!"

"Someone set her up." Kyoko stated. "Makoto, remember the pepper on the floor?"

"Wait, wait, _wait!_ " Junko said. "Are you really going to trust the word of a serial killer? I mean, Jon isn't exactly illogical when he says it could be her!"

Makoto saw Jon look up and stare directly in Junko's direction.

"Jon barely listens to reason." Kyoko replied, turning away. "He just yells until you either give up or run away. Stubborn, certainly. Logical? Hardly."

" _Va te faire foutre._ " Jon muttered, looking down again.

"And he also speaks in other languages when he doesn't want to face you directly." Kyoko concluded. "Now, Makoto, you remember the pepper, correct?"

Makoto was shocked by Kyoko's harsh words, but he continued. "Y-yeah, it was all spread out around the floor, like someone had thrown it or something."

"She could have done that to make us _think_ that someone set her up!" Junko countered. "She's a _serial killer_ , remember? She could probably pull something like that off!"

"Junko." Jon said suddenly, and Makoto saw Junko jump at her name being called.

"Yeah?"

"There is enough evidence pointing to someone other than Genocide Jack being the murderer. Stop trying to defend that viewpoint. If she was going to kill someone, then she would have done it using her 'iconic' scissors, not a blunt object."

"But the scissors-"

"She did that when he was already dead, look at the blood." he interrupted. "Let's just let these two finish their thought process, alright?"

"Mojo sounds all tuckered out! What happened to ya, mate? Did Makyoko take the wind outta you?" Jill said.

"It appears we've finally breached his skull." Kyoko said. "Nice to see you're finally listening to me."

"Not you." Jon glowered. "Him." He gestured towards Makoto.

"I see." she replied. "Well, Makoto, do you know how the pepper got there and who had it?"

"No... but I think I know someone who does."

Makoto turned to Sayaka. She had been silent most of the trial, but Makoto thought he knew why. She had been waiting for this moment. When he turned to her, no words were exchanged. She simply nodded, and turned to everyone else.

"I was in the cafeteria yesterday." she began. "I saw someone exit the kitchen, and it looked like they were holding something. I went after them, but when I entered the hallway after them, I saw three people."

"Uh-who?" Mondo asked.

"You, Toko, and Junko." Sayaka ended. 

"Now hold on a minute." Mondo said. "I was in the hallway yesterday, yeah, but I was headin' to the workout room."

"I don't share memories with dry and boring, so I can't tell you if she did or not!" Jill chimed. "I doubt she would, though, she _hates_ me! She locked me up since we got here!"

"Figuratively." Jon commented.

"I'm sorry, but aren't you too busy being depressed and sad over there?" Jon looked back to his stand "Thought so!"

"There's only one person it could be! It has to be _her!_ " Junko shouted, pointing in Jill's direction. "I told you! She's tricking us! She's trying to make it look like someone else so she can escape!"

"Oi! Bimbo-fuck! If _I_ say I didn't do it, _I didn't do it!_ How thick is your skull? Shall I remove a few layers of skin so you can hear me clearer? I can do it! Don't fucking tempt me!" Jill pulled out a scissor. "I never knew how annoying it was to be constantly accused of something I didn't do! There's some irony in there, somewhere."

"Well, there's no possible way it could be bro!" Taka said. "Despite his callousness at his death, bro has not shown any connection to this crime whatsoever! He promised me himself that he would never attack another student here! It was a _mans_ promise!"

"That was s'posed to be secret bro." Mondo whispered.

"Ah! I apologize, bro! I just wanted to prove your innocence!"

"Point is, Mondo wouldn't do something like this!" Chihiro said. "I know he wouldn't!"

"Yes, Mondo is not involved with this crime whatsoever." Kyoko said. "It wouldn't make any sense. After all, the dumbbell did come from the girls workout room."

"...Ok. Anything else you want to share, _Iram inducens meretrix?_ " Jon said, looking up."

"Yes I do. Why? Are you going to derail the conversation again?" Kyoko chided.

"No." Jon replied. "In fact, I think I know who it might be."

"Oh really?" Kyoko sighed. "Who is it then?"

Makoto didn't know what to say to that. They had almost run out of leads, and the clock was always ticking. He knows, Monokuma could probably at any second just stop the discussion and have them all vote without them fully knowing who it was.

"If you anyone has anything to say, say it. There can be no benefit for hiding it any longer." Sakura said. "Time is of the essence."

"Yes," Jon concurred. "Remember when I said that I went out to look for a book last night? Well, I saw someone enter their room. Specifically, the person two doors down from mine closed it, almost slammed it, really."

"If I remember correctly," Kyoko said. "I believe that room is..."

Makoto knew exactly who's room that was.

"...Junko's room." Makoto finished.

"W-what?" she gasped.

"Your door slammed when I opened mine." Jon explained. "That puts you at least near the scene of the crime."

"B-but-"

"Don't try and argue, I doubt it's a coincidence that you were also near the kitchen when Sayaka saw someone leave." He interrupted.

"First, I would like to explain what I found near the workout rooms. So please, let me finish this at least, Jon." Kyoko said.

"Go ahead. _Malgré le fait qu'il est inutile._ " he replied.

"The boys workout room door was ajar, and inside, there was a suspicious dumbbell that was not only clean, but different to the other ones. I looked in the girls locker room and saw that one was missing."

"...and? What is the significance?" Jon said.

"It was probably a rushed attempt to hide evidence." she concluded, seemingly ignoring Jon. "I found Hifumi's old E-Handbook nearby as well. While Celeste's," Makoto saw Jon cringe as she said Celeste's name. He didn't understand why. "was still untouched."

"Well," Jon said. "I'm sure that will add insult to injury for the killer, _Kyoko_. But I think we both know who it is."

"I'm sure we do." Kyoko responded.

"I feel like such a side character right, now. You guys have _no idea!_ " Jill said.

"I'm just trying to follow what's going on." Hiro added. "I've been lost since Jill."

"Are you guys sure it's Junko? I mean, can she really hold up a dumbbell and hit someone's head with enough force to kill? Fashionista's aren't really known for their physical strength..." Leon asked.

"Oh?" Sayaka said. "And how many Fashionista's have you met, Leon?"

"U-um, a few, actually!"

"Um, you guys _are_ sure, right?" Chihiro said. "I mean, if we get this wrong..."

"There's only one sure fire way to find out." Jon said. "Confession."

"You've gotta be kiddin' me!" Mondo said. "You can't seriously expect her to just up and say she did it, do you?"

"She's trapped in a corner, Mondo." Jon replied. "She either finds a way out of this, or we vote for her. A confession is the only way we'll know for _sure_ , though."

Jon turned to Junko, the latter of which had been eerily silent, and had watched everyone as they had conversed.

"Junko," Jon called. For a moment, Junko seemed to ignore him, and then she turned to him a few moments later. "Did you kill Byakuya Togami?"

For a few seconds, she didn't respond. She merely locked eyes with Jon for what felt like minutes. Makoto knew it was probably her (who else could it be, really?) but maybe she could-

"You three were always too smart for your own good." she said suddenly, and then she smiled. Not the creepy fake Cheshire grin that she sometimes flashed at people, but a small, warm smile. It also threw Makoto off that she sounded almost entirely different compared to earlier. She used to sound like your stereotypical 'popular' girl, but now she sounded calm, cold, intelligent, not like what he thought of her as.

"...Is that a confession?" Jon asked.

"I believe it was." Kyoko said, closing her eyes. "If it wasn't, then it is the closest we'll get." She looked towards Monokuma. "I think we ar-"

"Wait." Junko interrupted.

"Give it up, Junko. You've lost. And if you're going to spout out some 'she's tricking you!' bullshit again, well, I'd rather eat cakes made of mulchy shit than listen to you babble. _Murderer._ "

"That's one helluva image you put in my head, man." Leon complained.

"...Just as crass as ever. But I need you to listen to me. I need to tell you all something important." Junko pleaded.

That piqued some peoples curiosity, including Makoto's. 

Kyoko sighed. "What do you have to say?"

"Hmm..." Junko hummed. She had a blank expression on her face, which slightly unnerved Makoto. She was probably thinking. She glanced up at Monokuma, who had not moved since being interrupted.

"Ask me a question about the crime." she said. "Anything you're curious about."

"Why would you do something like this?" Hina asked.

"Well, the motive was certainly enticing." she replied, looking at Makoto for some reason. "But that's only half the reason."

"What's the other reason?" Jon queried.

"I was ordered to." She said, looking straight into Jon's eyes.

"By whom?" Kyoko asked.

"...Someone." Junko replied cryptically.

Jon had a puzzled look on his face. It almost seemed like he was trying to figure something out.

"Jon." Junko called. "Who fights in wars?"

"Well, soldiers... but..." Jon tapered off.

"Jon." Junko repeated. "What's my name?"

That question caught Makoto off guard. It seemed to throw off some others as well, as everyone had a slightly confused expression. Makoto tried to piece it together... Ordered to... Soldiers... what's my name...

_Oh._

Makoto knew who she was talking about. Jon had given him the paper with that name. And from the look on Jon's and Kyoko's face, they had figured it out as well. Only Jon spoke out loud though. In a voice loud enough to wake the dead, he shouted:

" _ **MUKURO IKUSABA!**_ "

Jon dramatically pointed a finger in the her direction.

" _Mukuro Iku-motherfucking-saba!_ "

"W-wait!" Leon stuttered. "Who's 'Mukuro Ikusaba'?

"I'm lost again!" Hiro screeched.

"Mojo figured it out! _Kyehahahahahaha!_ "

"What the hell's goin' on!?" Mondo bellowed.

"Seriously! Can everyone please calm down?" Chihiro tried to shout.

"Woah, woah, woah! What's the big idea!? I was getting my beauty sleep!" Monokuma suddenly shouted, jumping in the air. "What are you guys doing?"

"Great going, Jon." Kyoko said sarcastically. "You got his attention."

" _¡Vete a la mierda!_ " Jon shouted, before turning back to 'Junko'. "Mukuro Ikusaba, I found you!"

The girl in question had her eyes closed, with the same blank expression she had had for the past 5 minutes. Makoto didn't know how to handle this... 'realization'. He never really expected something like _this_ to happen. He looked to everyone else, to see how they were dealing with this.

Mondo had a dumbstruck look on his face. Taka's face was a bright red, half because of the reveal, and partly, Makoto guessed, from the amount of cursing that has gone on without a reprimand. Chihiro looked like she had seen a ghost. Toko/Jill had a nonchalant expression that seemed to say 'I knew it all along'. Sakura and Hina both had their eyes wide open. Hiro looked like he was caught in a perpetual silent scream, his mouth was open so wide. Leon and Sayaka had much the same expression as everyone else. Kyoko's expression hadn't changed whatsoever, but Makoto was sure her eyes were wider than before. Jon however, was a different. His lips were curled into a snarl, and his eyes seemed to have a primal quality to them. He almost looked like he had lost his mind.

"You don't know," the mystery girl said. "how good it is to hear that name again."

"I don't care how _good_ it is." Jon replied, in a low sounding, intimidating voice. "I want some answers."

"You were always straight to the point." Mukuro said. "It helped both of us out a lot, believe me."

"What are you talking about?" Kyoko asked. "We want some answers. It's obvious that you are a traitor. I wonder..."

"Please." Makoto pleaded. "You've already revealed yourself, can you tell us anything?"

"I'm afraid not." she said. "He wont allow it." she pointed in Monokuma's direction. "He'll kill me instantly if I reveal anything."

"So it's useless, then?" Jon growled. "You did this for nothing. Nothing _at all._ "

"...there is something I do need to show you." she said.

After she said that, she did something completely unexpected. She rolled up her shirt. Makoto was about to look away, obviously, before he saw it.

A wound. A round, red, angry wound that previously had bandages on it was revealed, and it was bleeding. It was near the right side of her body, just above the skirt-line. It didn't look infected, but it did look like physical exertion had disturbed it.

 _Like bashing in someone's skull with a dumbbell._ Makoto thought morbidly.

"I want you to know." she continued. "You did this to me. And you had every right to do so."

She put her shirt back down.

"What the _hell_ are you on about?" Jon questioned angrily. "I've never seen you in my life! And I know for a _fact_ I've never hurt anyone who even looked like you!"

Mukuro sighed. "No, I guess you haven't."

"Ok everyone!" Monokuma interrupted. "The time's up! Cast your votes!"

"W-what?" Makoto stuttered. "But there wasn't a time limit last time!"

"I know! I'm adding it in now so the folks at home don't get bored! Do it, or else you'll go with the blackened!"

"Do as they say." Mukuro said. "Save yourselves."

"No, not yet." Jon replied. Everyone was casting their votes already, until it was only Makoto and Jon who hand't voted. "You're gonna tell me what I want to know!"

"I told you, I can-"

"Bullshit." Jon interrupted. "You can answer one question, _at least._ All I want to know is..." Jon paused. "Is Shinrai Sakushi in this building?"

Mukuro looked taken aback by Jon's question. Makoto had no idea what Jon was talking about, but he seemed to be very adamant about it. He was giving Mukuro as stare that could melt steel beams. Mukuro, however, quickly regained her composure, and said:

"No."

"But I fuc-"

"Jon and Makoto!" Monokuma screeched. "If you don't vote now, I'll punish both of you!"

Jon looked towards Monokuma, furious.

"I will have my fucking answers, _bear_."

"Jon." Mukuro said. "Do what they say, I don't want to see you die so soon."

"I need to know-"

"I already told you." she interrupted. "Just vote."

Jon sighed, and voted. Makoto did so soon after. He felt incredibly dirty. He was sending off someone to their death, again. The slot machine rolled, until it landed on 'Junko''s face.

**And the murderer of Byakuya Togami was:**

**Junko Enoshima**

**CONGRATULATIONS!**

"There, I voted, you _meretrix_ , now, your basically dead already so-"

"I prepared a _special punishment_ for Junko Enoshima! The Ultimate Fashionista! He he, that rhymed..." 

Kyoko looked away, and Makoto did as well, but he could still hear Jon's shouts. 

"Wait a fucking second you-" 

**IT'S-**

"I told you to fuc- 

**-PUNISHMENT-**

"Jon." Mukruo said softly. "Take care of yourself..." Makoto looked at her one last time before she was pulled away. She had a thoughtful look on her face, like she was choosing her last words carefully. Finally, she uttered one more word. 

"...Comrade." 

**TIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMMMEEE!**

Before Makoto, or even Jon could react, the chain that had taken Celeste only a few days ago now took Mukuro Ikusaba. 

* * *

**The setting is a beauty contest. Several others have already gone before her, and she was rightly nervous. Monokumas stare 'wide-eyed' as the next contestant enters.**

**Although her appearance would suggest otherwise, her pose, walking style, and even her expression is all wrong. The crowd begins to boo, and throw items at the absolute abomination before them. This isn't beauty, this is a facade. A facsimile. An _Imposter._**

**Confections and drinks rain down on the 'Fashionista' and she dodges them all expertly. This is not a fashionista at all. This is someone more primal, more _beastlike._ And what do you do to an unruly beast?**

**You stab them with dozens of spears of course.**

**The girl was fast, but she wasn't nearly fast enough, nor agile enough, to escape _Gungnir_. Before the spears pierce her from every direction, she messes with her hair. It almost looks like she was trying to _remove_ it. Alas, the spears pierce her. She gurgles and moans, and then she falls down.**

**A few locks of black hair can be seen amidst the pooling blood.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're wondering what I changed from the beginning, most of what I did was grammar and style based, but I did add some dialog and updated some dialog here and there. Also, there's an updated description of what Jon looks like and sounds like in the first chapter. So, there's that.
> 
> So yeah, nothing much changed. I was actually surprised, I thought the beginning chapters were terribad, but they weren't actually that bad. They were a little short, though. I feel like I'm not the best judge of that, so if you want, you can leave things I should improve in the beginning chapters (in the future ones as well) if you're interested.
> 
> Until next time.


	19. Shinrai

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoo boy these chapters are getting longer by the second.
> 
> (It's probably because I'm putting _effort_ into this now.)

Jon stared in disgust and anger at the sight that he saw. 

Mukuro Ikusaba, the Ultimate Soldier and the traitor among them - _Ah! How ironic. A traitor calling someone else a traitor! _\- was now drowning in a pool of her own blood in the middle of a mock-idol stage. The sight of it sickened him. The only lead he had had within this god forsaken school was now severed, forever.__

Even so, a strange urge to go toward her and make sure she was breathing overtook him. It was such an alien feeling that he almost allowed himself to step toward her - even though they were separated by a chain-link fence - and check her pulse. He fought this urge with all his might. Why was this happening? Not only had he only just met her, he barely even talked to her when she was under the facade of Junko Enoshima. 

_No, don't die yet._ said a voice.

The voice was both foreign and familiar, like an old friend or long lost family member. Only, this voice sounded like _him._

_You bitch, I need to pay you back. Get the fuck up, Mukuro, so I can kill you myself!_

He tried his best to block out the voice. It disturbed him. He knew this wasn't a machination of Monokuma, nor a speaker. If it was either, people would have noticed. So, where had that voice come from? Speaking of other people...

 _And another falls._ Shinrai said. _On a roll, my friend. Who's the next gonna be? Leon, maybe? Or perhaps Sakura? She certainly has the muscle to throttle anyone with relative ease. I bet even pompodour would have trouble with her._

"She lied..." Jon whispered audibly. "He _is_ here..." The speakers most be on some low frequency that only he can hear. Or maybe the bear had implanted a chip inside his head to play that accursed voice. One thing he was certain of: Mukuro had lied. _Lied._ Shinrai _was_ in this building, somewhere, making sure to torment him whenever he could by doing one of his many accents or voices. The _Bastard_. Jon wouldn't be surprised if he was the mastermind of this entire thing. It seemed like something the _bastardo_ would do. Hell, he could probably dredge up the funds to do it with that silky voice of his.

"Uh, Jon, are you ok, man?" Leon asked.

"Huh?" Jon had been so absorbed in his own thoughts that he had almost blocked out the entire outside world. Leon was near him, his hand on his shoulder. Makoto looked like he was in his own little world, just staring at Mukuro's corpse - _Ha! How fitting..._ \- like it was the most interesting thing in the world. Kyoko looked like she was watching some boring show at eleven o'clock. The china doll's expression had not changed at all. Of course it didn't. Jon was half convinced she was a robot.

"Dude, you're crying."

"What?"

Jon felt the corners of his eyes. Sure enough, his fingers came back wet. He had been crying without even knowing it. This was the same thing that happened with-

Celeste.

( _Taeko, you bastard. Her name was Taeko._ )

"I'm fine." Jon said. For some reason, his voice was quavering. It only added more questions to the whirlwind his mind was becoming.

"Jon, were you and her... close?" Hina queried tentatively.

Jon wanted to lash out at her. 'Of course not.' he'd of said in a rough voice.

"No." He croaked. 

"Well, you're certainly actin' like it Mojo!" Jill laughed. "You have _no_ idea the stuff those two shared, milk tits!"

"W-what did you call me!?" Hina gasped.

"I mean, for the sake of all that's _holy!_ Look at them! What do ya do, dunk 'em in milk every fuckin' morning!?"

 _Oh, she's still here._ Jon thought. He should have expected that Jill would still be here. It's not like they had given any incentive to make her _leave._ Nothing a little pepper won't fix.

"Someone." Jon called. "Hold her."

* * *

Makoto couldn't tear his eyes away from the sight before him. Mukuro, The Ultimate Soldier, was now dead. How? She was the Ultimate Soldier! He didn't know her very well, granted, and maybe she was out of practice. Any number of things could have played into her execution. It could have been her clothes for all he knew. Still, one thing bothered him about her. He never got to know her. Why had she done the things she did?

_What kind of person were you, Mukuro?_

Why had she looked at him when the motive was brought up? Why did she show Jon, and everyone, the wound in her side? He realized that earlier, when he met her in the hallway outside the library, that she was holding her side, and panting. Maybe that was what was throwing her off? Lastly, why was she ordered to kill someone? Was she a traitor, like Kyoko said she was? Or was it something more basic? Makoto didn't know, and he would probably _never_ know, really. The chances of finding out himself were nil. 

The execution played over and over again in Makoto's mind, just like the first motive did when he saw that video, the video that almost pushed Sayaka to murder him. He could see clearly, every time, Mukuro being impaled by dozens of spears. He could see the blood leak from her mouth. Then, she would fall down, where her blood would flow freely and form a lake of red.

"Someone. Hold her."

Makoto was taken out of his shocked state by the sound of Jon's now gravelly voice. It was probably from all the shouting he had been doing.

"What do ya think you're doin', Mojo!?" Jill screeched, motioning towards her legs. "After all I've done to help ya, you're just gonna lock me away again!?"

"Figuratively." Jon replied.

"Jon, are you sure that's a good idea?" Makoto said, walking up to him. "I mean, she did help us..."

"I'm going to fix a mistake, Makoto." Jon said dismissively. "This _murderer_ is better off locked away. I'd rather deal with Toko again then be forced to watch this bloodthirsty psychopath roaming the halls. I'm sure Taka would agree?"

Jon looked in Taka's direction questioningly.

"I-I'm not sure how to deal with this... situation!" Taka stuttered.

"Sorry." Mondo frowned. "Don't get me and bro involved with _this_."

"Ah, so that's the way it's going to be?" Jon sighed, then turned to Sakura. "Can you please?"

Sakura merely shook her head. 

"Oh, so _that's_ how it's going to be?" Jon said exaperated. "You'd rather watch this serial killer walk among us, then see Toko again?"

"We let you walk among us, don't we?" Kyoko said. Makoto stifled a giggle.

"Oh my god, that's so funny I forgot to laugh. You should go into stand-up comedy, Kyoko, you'd be really good." Jon replied dryly. As he talked with Kyoko, Makoto noticed that Jon was slowly inching towards Jill while she was distracted by their conversation. Suddenly, he put his hand in his jacket's pocket. Leon and Hiro noticed this, and motivated him.

"If you're gonna do this man, do it fast!" Leon urged.

"I'm doing it, alright? _Porra!_ "

"Please do it! She's looking at me funny!" Hiro shouted.

"Hagakure, you say one more thing and I'll put rats in your hair while you sleep."

"D-don't, pleas- wait, are there even any rats here?"

"I'll find some. Don't doubt me."

Jon put his hand in his jacket's pocket and pulled out pepper. _How much is in there?_ And quickly blew some into Jill's face. Jill fidgeted as she tried to hold back a sneeze.

"Fu-fu-fuck yo- **ACHOOOO!** "

And, suddenly, Toko was back. Jill's blood red eyes were replaced by Toko's dark grey ones. Her tongue rolled back into her mouth. She looked around wildly, obviously confused at what was happening. Makoto felt bad for her. One moment, she was a big bad murderous psychopath, the next, she was a scared, antisocial writer.

"W-W-what's going on?" she whimpered. She wasn't the same psychopath that had been here a moment before. She was Toko again. 

"I'll tell you what's happening." Jon said.

"Y-you! Get away from me with t-that-"

"Congratulations, you were found not guilty by the Supreme Court." he interrupted her.

"W-wait, what? Aren't we still..." Toko looked around, and noticed everyone no longer stood at their stands, and that one of them was missing. 

"Get your bearings while you can, _Toko._ " Jon hissed. "We're leaving."

"B-but what's going on? W-what happened? Who k-killed my..." Toko looked like she was on the verge of tears. Makoto felt increasingly sympathetic for Toko.

"It's ok." Sayaka said, walking up to her. "I'll tell you everything once we get out of this horrible place."

"Seriously, do you just have a thing for making girls cry!?" Hina shouted.

Jon looked at her, and said nothing. Makoto thought that he either didn't have the strength or the willpower to respond to her. Slowly, everyone made their way to the elevator out of the trial room. It was a somber ride to the 'surface'. No one talked just like last time, but Makoto could almost _feel_ the question on everyone's minds. He also knew who the all revolved around. Mukuro was still an enigma to them all, after all. And no one truly knew who she was, who she was ordered by - although some had suspicions, probably - and what was the extent she knew about their situation.

Ok, Makoto didn't actually _know_ if everyone was thinking this, but he knew for a fact that he and Kyoko were probably thinking it.

He could see it in her eyes. The way she stared off into space. And the sideways glances in Jon's direction. She was probably thinking about Mukuro's and Jon's connection. Mukuro's comments would indicate that they had a past together, but Jon seemed genuinely startled and vehemently denied ever seeing her before. Jon wouldn't lie about something like this. He had already told Makoto himself that he despised lying. He saw no reason to distrust Jon, and no reason to distrust anyone, really.

( _You can't trust anyone, Makoto._ )

There was that phrase again. Makoto shut it out. He would never doubt anyone here. He refused to. Distrust is what the mastermind wants, and he refused to give in.

The elevator doors opened, revealing the room on the other side. Makoto noticed Kyoko walking towards him, and looked in her direction before she got to him. 

"Makoto, I would like t-"

" _Goddamnit!_ "

The sound startled Makoto, who jumped slightly. Kyoko, however, did not look the least bit alarmed. In fact, if anything, she looked annoyed. They both looked to where the sound had come from, and saw Jon on the floor in front of the entrance to the elevator. His head was in his hands. At first, it looked like someone had hit him, but from the way Leon was acting, it looked like he had only tripped.

"Dude, you ok?" Leon asked, holding a hand out to Jon. Jon took one look at Leon, and then got up on his own and walked down the hallway, leaving Leon hanging. Taka shouted after him.

"Jon Uragiri! Our business is not concluded! _We must speak at once!_ " he shouted, already motioning towards his direction.

"Where are you going, Jon?" Sakura called. 

When he apparently hear Sakura's voice, Jon stopped and turned around.

"I'm going to do what I wanted to do this morning." Was all he said before turning back around and walking out of sight. Taka was about to speed-walk after him but was stopped by Mondo putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Just let it go, bro." He said. "It's not worth it."

"B-but I can't just let-"

"Hey, I've been meanin' to talk to ya about this anyway, come with me."

Taka stood up straight. "Very well! Lead the way."

They both went off down the hallway. Everyone else left soon after, except Kyoko and Makoto. 

"I wanted to thank you for what you did at the trial." she said finally, after everyone had left. "If you weren't there, we would have likely gone in circles."

"What do you mean?" Makoto asked. All he had done was get everyone back on track. In his eyes, it was Kyoko who had done most of the work. She had, after all, given him the hint that led to him figuring it out. 

"You were able to get Jon to listen to reason." she answered. "He listens to you. I don't know why, but he does. He is smart, I'll give him that, but he lets grudges and general dislike of some people get in the way of his problem-solving. Whether we like it or not, he did help find the killer in the end. And you were the one to knock some sense into him, I suppose."

"I never saw it that way, I just wanted everyone to know what I had found out." he said modestly. "I mean, all I've been doing is causing problems when I talk, and I was afraid I'd do it here too..."

"You saved us today, Makoto." Kyoko said suddenly. "We would probably never find the culprit if you hadn't intervened. I could have said it, but I doubt anyone would listen to me. Especially Jon."

"T-thanks, I guess?" Makoto stuttered. He didn't know how to respond with anything else.

"You're welcome, and Makoto?"

"Hmm?"

"Don't be afraid that something may go wrong because of something you said. You'll never truly know unless you try."

Kyoko walked away. Leaving Makoto with more questions than answers, but slighty more chipper than he had been the past few days. With that, he left the elevator room soon after Kyoko did.

* * *

Kyoko Kirigiri was not one to hold grudges, but it was hard not to when the person whom she had a grudge on was the single most infuriating person this side of the solar system. Luckily, she was able to hide her disgust and anger whenever someone was around. It was surprisingly interesting to do so. But still! The names he called people, the insults, his arrogance irked her in such a way that it was hard not to have those feelings. It also didn't help that Mukuro Ikusaba seemed to _know_ who Jon is, which didn't elevate him to any higher position in her mind. It could mean a multitude of things, and she didn't have time to list them all.

At least Makoto wasn't like that. Makoto was naive, soft-spoken at times, and what some would call bland, but she could see that he was much more than he seemed. He was hopeful of other people, completely trusting, and that was both his greatest weakness and greatest strength. Through his eyes, everyone was innocent until proven guilty. This was the best sum of his personality that Kyoko had gotten, and she was intrigued. She was fully prepared to praise him, if even a little bit, for calming down the angry and thoughtless dragon known as _Jon's rage._

However, right now, Kyoko had to worry about other things besides emotional ties and grudges. Right now, she was investigating.

That word still felt so familiar to her. It was like she had said it before many times before, to the point that it was an implicit memory in her subconscious. Had she done a lot of 'investigating' as her Ultimate Title? That could mean a multitude of things. Still that wasn't what she was focused on.

She was in the secret room, having gone there after talking to Makoto. She was looking through one of the many files. That was one thing she liked about herself: she looked deeper than others. If Jon had looked only a little farther into the many shelves which hugged the far wall of the secret room, he would have found a _very_ special folder. Inside was a list of all the Ultimate Students who had been chosen to attend Hope's Peak Academy since the 75th class. It wasn't an official Hope's Peak folder. This one was hand-written, not typed. Could it have been a project by someone? Nevertheless, she read through it.

**75th:**

**Arekusandaa Suifu, Ultimate Sailor...**

**Shinrai Sakushi, Ultimate Voice Actor...**

**Jeimuzu Bukkaa, Ultimate Chess Player...**

Kyoko looked through the page, but found no information about any of the members of the 75th class. Only their names and their talent, and the only name that stuck out was Shinrai Sakushi, whom Jon had asked Mukuro a question about. What was the connection here? She would have to figure it out later. She turned the page.

**76th:**

**Ando Ruruka, Ultimate Confectioner...**

**Izayoi Sonosuke, Ultimate Blacksmith...**

**Seiko Kimura, Ultimate Pharmacist...**

Kyoko looked through this page, but again, she found nothing worthy of note. She would not, however, give into temptation and flip immediately to the 78th class. Even if she wasn't sure if this was a fake or not - the mastermind could have found out about this secret room, and simply put in this as a red herring - she still felt like something was important about the folder. This was what she thought as she flipped the page to look at the 77th class.

**77th:**

**Chiaki Nanami, Ultimate Gamer...**

**Ibuki Mioda, Ultimate Musician...**

**Gundham Tanaka, Ultimate Breeder...**

Again, nothing of importance was found on this page either. There was only one last page, too. Hopefully containing the members of the 78th class, and hopefully, her talent with it.

She flipped the page.

**78th:**

**Jon Uragiri, Ultimate Linguist...**

**~~Taeko Yasuhiro~~ Celestia Ludenberg, Ultimate Gambler...**

**Kyoko Kirigiri, Ultimate ~~FUCKING BULLSHIT DON'T EVEN ASK DIE IN A FIRE~~**

Kyoko groaned in frustration and slammed her head on the desk. So, it had been planted here by the mastermind after all. It just goes to show you can't trust everything you come across. Kyoko raised her head, looking back at the paper. Even if she had gotten almost nothing out of it except the names of a few people she would probably never meet, it was still an interesting read nonthel-

Kyoko realized there was an _Eighteenth_ entry for the 78th class.

* * *

Jon was a man of his word. If nothing else, he was certain of that. As such, he wasn't lying when he told Taka 'I'm going to do what I wanted to do this morning'. He was on his way to the library, ignoring everything around him, focusing only on his new found goal. 

When he got there, he knew something had changed. He looked around and found out what. Byakuya's corpse was gone. All that was left were two puncture marks in the wall where Jill's scissors pierced his palms. Jon traced the the holes with his fingers.

" _Verdammt, Fickfehler._ " he whispered to no one. Byakuya was a fool. A smart fool, but a fool nonetheless. His arrogance was his undoing. Jon was reasonably sure that if he had just stuck with the group, he would be walking among them at that moment. Some blame could have gone to himself, Jon thought. If he hadn't been complacent, if he had just _talked_ with the poor bastard, maybe they could have worked something out. Even if they didn't, Byakuya would still be alive. His uncle probably wouldn't have lost another limb, too.

( _Admit it, Jon, your uncle is a drug addict and a_ LIAR.)

Jon was getting _really_ sick of these voices. Where the hell were they coming from? It was probably a chip. Yes, definitely a chip, there was no other explanation. An electronic chip was the cause of all these strange happenings. _Brilliant._

With that out of the way, Jon looked for a book. At that point, it could have been _any_ book that he would have chosen. Science-fiction, romance, thriller, hell, even _Ann Rand_ would do. He just needed to get away from it all. Away from everything in the godforsaken _Höllenloch._ He did find one of Toko's many books, but he went past it. He found that his urge to read one of them had disappeared entirely after he found out what she was, what she _truly_ was.

He searched through the shelves, flipping past many different types of books. He had no interest in any of them. Jon guessed that his earlier thought was wrong. Maybe he _did_ want to find some specific book. Only, he didn't know which one it could be. None of these interested him. They were all in Japanese and he really didn't feel like reading that at that moment.

It was when he almost gave up that he saw it. _The Time Machine._

He walked up to where it was - on the desk where Byakuya read the final books he would ever read - and picked it up. It was _The Time Machine_ by H.G. Wells. First publication, english, with the sphinx on the front cover and everything. It looked to be in very good condition for a book as old as it was. Sure, it's pages were yellow and the back cover looked like it had been torn some, but overall he was impressed by how preserved it was. 

Jon used to read this book. It was the first book he ever really finished. He had been eight at the time, and his mother just pulled it out of her purse while he wasn't looking and gave it to him. He had almost forgotten it was his birthday that day, February Twelfth. She had given him a smile, she only ever smiled when Jon was around, and put it into his hands. He read it from dawn till dusk.

After batting away the wave of nostalgia, Jon concluded that he should read this one. It had already distracted him from the world, and the chip in his head was mercifully silent. He put the book under his arm and walked off to his room.

Jon felt a wave of calming content as he walked back to his room. Finally, he had found a root, a way back to a place where things were simpler. Before Shinrai, before his uncle, before the crazed mugger, when it was just him and his mother against the world. Just him, her, and his book. He must have read it a thousand times in their old apartment. He never found it boring, even after reading dozens of times. As Jon opened the door to his room, he felt calm.

That didn't last long, especially with Shinrai leaning on Jon's desk like he owned the place.

 _Miss me?_ he said. _I know you would, old friend. I'm kinda hard to get rid of._

Jon simply stared. Shinrai was here, Shinrai was _alive!_ His blonde curly hair, his icy blue eyes, his handsome face. He was _here._ Mukuro lied.

Mukuro lied.

_Mukuro lied._

**MUKURO LIED!**

Jon's head exploded with sound.

_(Wasn't the only thing she lied about, Jonny dearest, she lied about everything.)_

_(His long black hair flowed in the breeze like seaweed on the bottom of the ocean, following the current. His eyes glowed like dull embers after a forest fire. His once nice suit was stained with the blood of an old love._

_My Comrade and I unleashed a barrage of hellfire on the un-man, not weighing the cons of provoking such an otherworldly monster.)_

_(She tricked you, Jon, she tricked you all. Strangle her, beat her, make her feel what you felt.)_

_(Shinrai was your friend, right? Why would he do something like this? He didn't necessarily need that knife, he was bigger than you, after all.)_

The book Jon was holding fell to the ground, and he only barely registered it. Shinrai was smiling. Smiling that _hideous_ smile. He wanted nothing more than to destroy him. Make him _pay._ He would travel to the depths of hell itself to eliminate his presence from existence. He would trade the world just to ring his scrawny neck.

_**(WHY WOULD HE DO IT I FUCKING HATE YOU SO GODDAMN MUCH.)** _

_**(HER EYES FULL OF MALICE SHE FILLED THE SYRINGE WITH A NEUROTOXIN.)** _

_**(THE SWORDSWOMAN WAS STRONG BUT MUKURO WAS STRONGER.)** _

_**(I WILL GET REVENGE IF IT'S THE LAST THING I DO, JUNKO.)** _

Jon hadn't even realized he was shouting. It was a loud, anguish-filled yell that reverberated throughout the halls. If any part of Jon was still stable, he would have been worried someone had heard it. But at that moment, he didn't care. He could hardly register anything. For instance, he couldn't register that his hand was making it's way to his pocket, where his pistol was kept.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Christ, another 4,000 word chapter. At least I won't be insecure about word count anymore.


	20. The Roster

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I think I'm going to iron out a schedule for this, but I'll do that later.
> 
> For now, enjoy!

"I mean, I know I say 'Calm down', and 'He's not acting like he usual does', a lot, but really, has he _ever_ acted like his normal self? The only time he was even a little normal was the first three days, remember, Makoto?"

Makoto was in the cafeteria talking to Leon and Sayaka about Jon's odd behavior. That's not how it started. Leon at first just wanted to talk with someone that wasn't Sayaka for awhile, and the conversation just gradually turned to Jon. Makoto could see Sayaka roll her eyes as Leon went on.

"He was a decent guy those first few days. Quiet and standoffish at first, yeah, but not crazy." Leon finished.

"He hasn't been the same since the first motive." Makoto agreed. "Remember when he asked you to leave that one time when I found you guys talking here?"

"Yeah," Leon replied. "Always wondered what he said to you. I came back in afterwards and we continued our... what's the word? Sayaka, what's the word?"

"Existential." she answered simply.

"Yeah, our 'existential' conversation and he acted like nothing happened. What did he say?"

"Well, he gave me a piece of paper with 'You can't trust anyone' written on it. He said that it was to 'teach' me something, I think." Makoto remembered. "That was the day before he went off the edge, I think."

"Ah, he had your best interests at heart." Leon said. "I mean, he's not exactly wrong when he wrote it, especially at the time."

"Oh? Leon, I never took you for someone who distrusts other people." Sayaka said.

"That's not what I meant! But anyway, getting off track." Leon coughed. "Like I said, wasn't a bad guy, talked with him a bit, and then the night the motive first came out, he comes to my room, right? And he's all 'Don't let anyone into your room, insert random curse word in another language here', and just storms off! Barely even got to say anything to him. He say anything to you that night, babe?"

"What did you just call me, Leon Kuwata?"

"U-Uh, I mean, Sayaka?"

"No, I didn't, nor would I have wanted to." Sayaka answered. "That man is the most selfish, obnoxious guy I've ever met, and I've met _a lot_ of guys, believe me."

She closed her eyes, as if she was deep in thought, and then opened them again. "Did I ever tell you who convinced me to confess a while ago?"

Makoto felt a shiver run up his spine as he remembered that event. He could do without that memory, really. Sayaka was not a bad person. She was manipulated to near murder. And now, a week later, she probably helped in saving everyone's lives.

"Are you saying you didn't do it out of the kindness of your heart?" Leon said, smirking.

Sayaka turned to Leon, who looked like she was trying to hold back a smile and keep a serious face. She did not succeed much.

"Well, that had some part in it." she said. "But Jon kinda talked me into it."

"Doesn't seem so bad." Makoto said. "I-I mean, it sounds like he was trying to help you."

"That man helps no one but himself." Sayaka replied harshly. "He's crude, violent at times. He had me almost against the wall, telling me he knew all about who tried to... kill you... and that he wouldn't 'rat me out'. Ha!" Sayaka gave a halfhearted laugh, that sounded more nervous then anything else. "Said my motive was weak, too."

"Wow." Leon whispered, looking down. 

"Well, I talked to him about the first motive right before... Hifumi... and he said it had his uncle on it."

"Uncle, eh?" Leon repeated thoughtfully, looking back up. "So, family, then? Mine showed my cousin. Was a bit shaken after it, got over it though."

"I didn't know you got over the possible deaths of loved ones so quickly, Leon." Sayaka gasped. "Don't you care about your cousin?"

"Well, there's a catch-"

Leon was interrupted by a loud shout that came from the dorms. Makoto was instantly up from his chair, with Leon and Sayaka soon following his example.

"W-what the hell was-" Leon said.

A loud 'bang', like the sound of a gun, reverberated throughout the the halls. The sound ringed in Makoto's ears. He hastily ran from the cafeteria into the hallway outside, where the sound could still be heard echoing. Sayaka and Leon in tow, he made his way to the dorms. 

Horrible images of another murder flashed through Makoto's mind. He could already imagine it. Makoto was not stupid. He knew the sound of a gun when he heard it. He saw a smoked corpse with a bullet hole in the middle of it's forehead, blood slowly trickling out of the front and the back where the bullet had exited the now corpse. _Who was it this time?_ he wondered. Hina? Jon? Or - god forbid - Kyoko?

Luckily, it was none of them. There was no corpse waiting for the three of them as they got to the dorms. In fact, there was nothing at all. Just an empty hallway.

* * *

Jon pulled the trigger. He didn't know how the gun got in his hands, and the next thing he knew he had pulled the trigger. The M1911 went off, sending a loud 'bang' through the hallways. Jon didn't care about the sound though, he had other things to worry about.

_(You worked side by side, and in the end, that meant nothing.)_

Shinrai was gone.

One minute, he was leaning on the desk, smiling at Jon with that shit-eating grin of his, and the next, he had completely vanished without a trace. The bullet went through the wall, without ever hitting it's intended target. Jon was flabbergasted. Shinrai was here. He _knew_ it. He had to be. There was no other explanation. The bastard was here.

_(You never knew what you saw in her. She was like the amalgamation of everything you hated about your uncle, and yet)_

" _Ich werde dich finden._ " Jon whispered, almost growled. "I will find you, _Shinrai._ I will behead you."

 _Someone's already beaten you to that, mate._ Shinrai replied, in english and a mock-australian accent. _My heads already scattered to the seven corners of the world, and hanged for all to see._

" _Bullshit_ " Jon whispered. "You're still here, I'll find you. I _know_ I saw you."

_Did you really?_

Jon walked slowly into his room and closed the door behind him. And began his search. He would find Shinrai, oh yes, he would find him. He would drag him screaming from his dark hiding place and throw him into the light. 'Here's our eighteenth student', he would say, 'Now watch as I tear his arm off and beat him to death with it'. 

_(You think your favorite part about her was the part she hid from everyone else. The part she only showed to you.)_

_**(TOO BAD SHE'S FUCKING DEAD DEADER THAN A FUCKING DOORKNOB JONNY BOY)** _

Jon ignored these _voices_ as best he could. He knew they were caused by something. Something outside his control. It was either a chip or specialized speakers. Whatever, he knew it had to be _something._ It also had to be caused by Shinrai. How could it not be?

Jon searched every nook and cranny of his room. Under the bed, the bathroom, hell, he was even tempted to break down the walls to see if there was some hidden crawlspace behind them. The only thing keeping him from doing that was he knew Monokuma would see it and punish him for it. And he had a feeling that no amount of bargaining could get him out of the same mess twice.

_**(STOP FOOLING YOURSELF YOU'RE A TRAITOR AND A LIAR JUST LIKE SHINRAI ADMIT ADMIT YOU FUCK)** _

" _Gdzie do diabła jesteś!?_ " Jon shouted.

Unlike the previous encounters with Shinrai, Jon got a response.

_I'm nowhere._

"How can you be nowhere if I literally _just_ saw you leaning on my fucking desk, you fuckwit!?" Jon yelled in reply. He didn't get an answer. Now there was only silence. Shinrai was not here. _Not here._ How was that possible? Here one minute, gone the next. It had to be a crawlspace. Only explanation. The voices were gone. Shinrai was gone. Jon walked towards his door.

_(Damnata, invisus ubique.)_

The voices were not gone.

* * *

Kyoko made an educated guess about what was going on. Based on the book in front of Jon's door, he had apparently gone to the library to get a book. Then, he had come back and something had happened. Kyoko did hear a noise, but it was muffled. She had picked up the folder with the roster on it, and had come to investigate the sound. Judging by the number of people - five in total - it most have been pretty loud. 

"You guys heard that too, right?" Hina asked.

"Yeah, heard someone shout, then that big noise. Sounded like a gun." Leon replied.

"We should make sure everyone is alright." Sakura said. "They must also be informed that someone may have a firearm."

"Are we sure it was a gun, though?" Sayaka said. "I mean, it could have been a lot of things, right?'

"Whatever it was, it was loud." Makoto said.

Kyoko decided to make herself known.

"Can someone tell me what happened?"

"Y-yeah." Makoto said. "Me, Leon, and Sayaka were talking in the cafeteria. Then we heard someone shout really loudly, and then we heard what sounded like a gunshot."

Sayaka and Leon nodded in agreement.

"Hina and I were on our way to our rooms, when we heard it." Sakura said. "It was a gunshot, there is no doubt about it."

"Did it sound like anyone we know who shouted?" Kyoko asked. It was a somewhat silly question. There was no one but their tight knit group who were in the school (minus the mastermind(s)). But you could never be too sure.

"Well, now that you mention it..." Leon said thoughtfully, a hand stroking his chin. "It did sound a little like-"

Leon was interrupted by a door suddenly opening. Makoto jumped, Leon almost fell to the ground in surprise, Hina clutched onto Sakura, the latter looked calmly in the direction of the door. Kyoko followed Sakura's example.

It was Jon. And he didn't look at his best. He had a wild, foggy look in his eye, and his lips were curled, baring his teeth like an angry dog. It would look comical if he wasn't heading in their direction with the same facial expression. Kyoko was sure she saw that look on someone else, somewhere. 

"He's here." Jon said through clenched teeth. "He's here."

"U-uh." Leon stuttered. "Wh-who's here?"

Jon looked at Leon like he had asked the dumbest question in the world.

"Shinrai is here you _kretyn._ He's here, I saw him. I motherfucking _saw_ him. He's here, and I'm going to end his existence."

So, Shinrai and Jon do share a past. Kyoko wondered what had happened. It was obvious that they did not share a good history, based on Jon's reaction. He had also mentioned a Shinrai when they were at the trial. He had asked Mukuro if Shinrai was in the building. Kyoko tried to piece it together. It was obvious that these were somehow connected, but to what extent she did not know, and that frustrated her a bit.

"Slow down." Sakura said. "Start from the beginning. We heard a loud noise and came to investigate. Before you tell us about this Shinrai, can you explain what that noise was?"

"Shinrai is here! Don't you get it!? He's here! I need to destroy him! He's a cancer that must be radiated off the face of the planet! _Han dreper oss alle, gud damnit! Han dreper oss alle for pengene!_ " Jon babbled.

"You're acting like a crazy person!" Hina said. "Can you tell us what happened or not?"

"Can I tell you what happened?" Jon echoed. "No... _No._ _Nein, zie, nee, nem, tsis tau, ez._ I can't! Shinrai, it was all him! He's dangerous! Don't trust his honeyed words!"

To Kyoko, it was obvious they weren't going to get much out of Jon. Right now, he was babbling like a crazy person. All Kyoko could get out was that Shinrai was dangerous, and to not trust his 'honeyed' words. It would go with his Ultimate talent. Ultimate Voice Actor. It was a good thing she had found that file.

"If you're not going to make any sense, then I guess we better go." Sayaka said. "Come on, Leon."

"U-Uh, ok. Bye Jon..." 

"Are you sure you're ok, Jon?" Makoto said. Jon, in response, only stared at Makoto. Makoto looked left to right awkwardly, and then followed Leon and Sayaka.

"Come, Hina, we must warn the others."

"Wait, wait, wait. Warn the others about what?" Jon stopped them.

"If you didn't hear the sound, then I guess I should start with you." Sakura said. "The sound we heard sounded suspiciously like a firearm, be wary of walking the halls."

"I think I can still hear it ringing in my ears..." Hina added.

"Firearms be damned!" Jon yelled. "Shinrai is fucking _out there!_ Warn them about him! Not some bloody pea shooter!"

"Who is he then?" Sakura asked.

"A _bastard._ " Jon said. "A parasite. If _anyone_ says anything even remotely related to him. Tell me. I need to find him."

"And if we do, what will you do to him?" Sakura said, crossing her arms.

"We will get to that when we find him." Jon said, avoiding answering the question.

"Very well." Sakura said, and then she left as well, leaving only Kyoko and Jon in the hallway.

Kyoko turned to leave. She didn't like the look in Jon's eyes. It brought about feelings that were hard to keep from showing and that she could not explain. Unfortunately, Jon turned to her before she could get away.

"What is that?" he said, pointing to the file in Kyoko's hand.

"It's none of your business." she replied sharply.

"No, I think _it is_ my business. There is only one place with files like that in this entire building, and _don't fucking lie to me_."

How frustrating. Either he had noticed the file before and had already seen what was inside, and wanted it back, or he didn't look into it and the simple fact that she had it had piqued his interest. Still, his eyes seemed to have regained some clarity compared to before. He looked a little more stable than just a few moments before. She knew she couldn't trust Jon with the information the file had, especially regarding the 78th class, but maybe she could get something out of this as well.

"You give me something, you get the file." she said. Jon looked at her thoughtfully, probably thinking about what Kyoko could possibly want.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"Answer my questions, and you get the file." _At least most of it._

Jon once again paused and looked thoughtfully at her. Finally, he responded: "Ask away."

She had to ask her questions carefully. She knew that. Jon could go from 1 to 100 in a split second, and she would much rather not make a scene.

"What is your connection with Mukuro?"

Jon seemed surprised, but he answered anyway.

"Haven't the foggiest. I was just as confused as anyone when she said what she said. Anything else?"

Such a simple answer, and one she had expected. She knew there was more to it than that, but she pressed on anyway.

"What is your connection to Shinrai Sakushi?" It wasn't a question that she thought was going to set him off, despite the fact he was ranting about him just a moment before. Jon looked at her blankly for a second.

"He's a traitor. He's a monster. The only words I have to describe him are insults." Jon said finally, closing his eyes. "He hurt me a long time ago. That's all you need to know. That, and that he is here."

Kyoko should have stopped there. Should have accepted that, and moved on. She may have gotten more information that way. But instead, she said:

"How can he be here when he's in the 75th-"

She caught her mistake fast, but not fast enough. Jon's eyes instantly snapped open.

"The hell did you just say?"

Kyoko cursed herself. She almost had the situation under control, and then she went ahead and ruined it. How unprofessional. Her grandfather would be disappointed.

Wait, who was her grandfather again? His name was...

"I'm sorry, I have to go." she tried to end it there. She felt like she was on the verge of remembering something very important, and she wanted to do it alone.

"I'm sorry, but I have to disagree." Jon said, cutting her off by putting an arm in the direction she planned on going. This was bad. Jon literally had her against the wall.

"That folder has something in it, doesn't it? Something important." Jon said, leaning toward her. He got so close their heads almost touched. He moved his head to to the side of hers, and whispered in her ear.

"May I please have that folder?"

Kyoko would place this situation in the top ten most uncomfortable moments of her life. Her face was still as stoic as it has always been, but on the inside her emotions were raging. She knew this position. She'd been in it before. She knew that look in Jon's eyes. She'd seen it before, but when? Where? She couldn't remember. Of course she couldn't, why would she? What she did know was that she had to get away from Jon, and fast. She tried to go the opposite direction, but was blocked off by Jon's other arm.

"There is nothing of importance in this file, now if you'll please-"

She was cut off by Jon giggling.

"You know what I hate more than liars, Kyoko Kirigiri?" he whispered.

Kyoko could feel her heart beating faster. She needed to get out. Right. Now.

"I need-"

" **BALD-FACED FUCKING LIARS!** " 

Kyoko flinched. Jon literally shouted into her left ear, and it was ringing. The good news was that the arms that prevented her escape were now gone. She shuffled to the side.

" _Nom de Dieu!_ "

Kyoko looked back at Jon and saw him holding his left hand. It was the same hand that had had scabs on it since the day after the first motive. The scabs were reopened and he was bleeding. In a way, Jon shouting had probably saved her from a broken nose. Kyoko looked Jon in the eye and had to stop herself from gasping. His eyes were once again foggy and wild, but there was something more to them.

They were the eyes of a madman. 

" _Give me the fucking file, goddamn you!_ " he shouted in what Kyoko believed to be english. " _Give me the file, you whore!_ "

Kyoko was reluctant to grant his wish, to say the least. She knew seeing what the file contained would not do Jon any favors at this point, but what could she do? If she didn't give him the file, chances are he would pursue her until she either did give it to him or he got it through force. She could also tell from the look Jon was giving her, that the latter was the more likely possibility. So Kyoko made a split second decision. She slipped the 78th class paper from the file. She didn't know if it was actually the 78th class file, but she distinctly remembered putting it towards the front, and that was the paper she got out. Kyoko then put the remaining file on the ground in front of her. There was no way she was getting even remotely close to Jon while he's like this.

Then, Kyoko left. She could hear Jon walk briskly to the file, and then walk back to his door and close the door. She let out a sigh of relief as she heard the door close. She then walked to her door, and entered her room.

She certainly had a lot to think about. One of which was what she had felt while looking into Jon's eyes. As she did so, she had felt a wave of fear and a phantom burning sensation in her hands. She wasn't sure if Jon had anything to do with what happened with her hands, but she knew what that look was, and if there was some connection...

She stopped thinking about that for now. Right now, she had to focus on what she was trying to remember. During her 'conversation' with Jon, she had felt something important happen, and it had to do with her grandfather. She laid down on her bed and thought.

_The name of my grandfather is..._

_is..._

_is..._

_Fuhito Kirigiri._

The thought entered her mind so naturally that she couldn't believe that she couldn't remember it just a few seconds before. The remembrance of her grandfathers name gave her some hope. Maybe, in time, she could remember everything else she had forgotten.

But right now, that wasn't what dominated her mind. What concerned her the most was Jon's clear mental instability, and her own suspicions of what he has to do with their imprisonment.

* * *

**_(WHAT WERE YOU GONNA DO JON ATTACK HER HOW UNLIKE YOU)_ **

Jon brushed the voices off as best he could. He was getting sick of them. He knew Shinrai was doing it. Maybe even Kyoko too. What other explanation was there? She had antagonized him ever since he'd gotten here. It wouldn't surprise him if Shinrai and her were working together. Either they knew each other, or something in the file he now held had some information on him. Either way, he was going to look through it. It was hard with the bleeding hand, but he managed.

He sat at his desk, the one he had seen Shinrai leaning on when he got in. And opened the file. He was immediately greeted by a roster of sorts. A crude and handwritten one at that.

**75th:**

**Arekusandaa Suifu, Ultimate Sailor...**

**Shinrai Sakushi, Ultimate Voice Actor...**

So she _did_ get that information from the file. It didn't stop her from being a prime suspect for working with Shinrai in tormenting him, but at least he knew she covered her tracks well. Information for later.

**Jeimuzu Bukkaa, Ultimate Chess Player...**

**_(WHAT A WORTHLESS TALENT JUST LIKE YOURS JONNY BOY)_ **

**Kyasarin Rekishi, Ultimate Historian...**

**Misheru Uekibachi, Ultimate Gardener...**

**Tomasu Orokamono, Ultimate Lucky Student...**

**Natarii Paipaa, Ultimate Reporter...**

**Garii Konwaku, Ultimate Ice Skater...**

_(You don't know what she saw in you either. You doubt it was your 'good looks.')_

**Shaarotto Dobutsu, Ultimate Taxidermist...**

**Naijeru Gansumisu, Ultimate Gunsmith...**

**Keito Shincho, Ultimate Sculpter...**

**Kenesu Taizu, Ultimate Surfer...**

**Wiriamu Omocha, Ultimate Toy Maker...**

**_(SHINRAI HAD A TOY TOO IT WAS CALLED A KNIFE)_ **

**Vinsento Saimin, Ultimate Hypnotist...**

**Teriiza Tenmongaku, Ultimate Astronomer...**

Completely worthless. That was his first thought. Completely worthless. No use _whatsoever._ Jon doubted he would ever meet any of these people

**_(EXCEPT FOR SHINRAI OF COURSE ALREADY MET HIM BUDDY)_ **

but at least he was almost on par with Kyoko with how much he knew about what was going on, which gave him some satisfaction. Unless she's the mastermind. Which wouldn't surprise him in the slightest. Probably employed Shinrai to torment him. Jon flipped over the page, and looked at what was the 76th class roster.

**76th:**

**Izayoi Sonosuke, Ultimate Blacksmith...**

**Ando Ruruka, Ultimate Confectioner...**

**Seiko Kimura, Ultimate Pharmacist...**

**Ethos Oroya, Ultimate Destruction...**

**_('SPLOSIONS BITCH)_ **

**Nikko Shitsu, Ultimate Dentist...**

**\-----------, Ultimate Puppeteer...**

**\--__---__---_, Ultimate Pilot...**

**__----__----__--____-, Ultimate Cultist...**

**Ken Suruni, Ultimate Interrogator...**

**Yuuko Mori, Ultimate Level Designer...**

_(Mukuro was a comrade, an ally,_ her _on the other hand...)_

**Reiji Itami, Ultimate Silversmith...**

**Michael Hyde, Ultimate Hunter...**

**_(I GOT YOUR ALPHA RIGHT HERE BIG BOY COME AND TAKE IT)_ **

**Kyokutan'na Kanashimi, Ultimate Mortician...**

**Orokana Nikutai, Ultimate Lucky Student...**

**Daunrodo Shita, Ultimate Bartender...**

Again, another bunch of people that he would never, and would rather never meet. It didn't help that three of the names were stupidly blotched out. Hopefully there would be something useful on the next page or Jon might just break something.

**77th:**

**Chiaki Nanami, Ultimate Gamer...**

_(The Wanderer)_

**Ibuki Mioda, Ultimate Musician...**

_(Instruments of Death)_

**Gundham Tanaka, Ultimate Breeder...**

**Teruteru Hanamura, Ultimate Cook...**

**Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu, Ultimate Yakuza...**

**Peko Pekoyama, Ultimate Swordswoman...**

**_(HIM AND THE SWORDWOMAN BOTH IDIOTS IN THEIR OWN WAY)_ **

**Mikan Tsumiki, Ultimate Nurse...**

**_(JUNKO'S BITCH FUCK HER TO HELL AND BACK)_ **

**Kazuichi Soda, Ultimate Mechanic...**

**Ultimate Imposter...**

**_(???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????)_ **

**Ryota Mitirai, Ultimate Animator...**

**Hiyoko Saionji, Ultimate Traditional Dancer...**

**Akane Owari, Ultimate Gymnast...**

**Nekomaru Nidai, Ultimate Team Manager...**

**Sonia Nevermind, Ultimate Princess...**

_(She called you a B-rank. You had no idea what she was talking about.)_

**Mahiru Koizumi, Ultimate Photographer...**

**Nagito Komaeda, Ultimate Lucky Student...**

**_(MORE LIKE ULTIMATE BULLSHIT STUPID SMART FUCKER)_ **

And that was it. Nothing else after the 77th class. It was stupid. Where was the 78th class roster? Surely it had to be in here. Why wasn't it? Kyoko took it. Almost certainly. No other explanation.

Jon just collapsed onto his bed. It was certainly an eventful day, in all of the wrong ways. He closed his eyes.

**_(NO SLEEP EVER YOU DON'T NEED IT)_ **

He knew he wasn't going to get sleep tonight. Especially with Shinrai and Kyoko tormenting his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so I'm going to make a controversial decision, but I was hoping to do this for awhile now, and at this point in the story is probably the perfect time to do it.
> 
> So, you guys get to choose what happens next in a way. There's going to be four sections in the next chapter. One's going to be everyone exploring the third floor, another will be a conversation between Makoto and Jon, and the last two are Jon and Makoto talking to someone else.
> 
> You can choose who Jon or Makoto talks to in the next chapter (as long as they aren't dead), just say which character you want either to talk to. 
> 
> This may or may not impact the ending of the story and who survives from here on out, I haven't decided yet, so be careful who you choose!
> 
> (I'll stop taking in votes by Wednesday night.)


	21. Another Self

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first part of this chapter was actually supposed to be a part of the last chapter, but I ~~forgot about it~~ decided to put it here.
> 
> Enjoy the extra-long chapter!

"Whatcha doin', badass?"

"Son of a-"

It was Monokuma, _of course_ it was. Jon was completely discombobulated. He didn't know if he had fallen asleep on his own or if he'd passed out from sheer exhaustion, and the first thing he recognized was the _bear._ A few moments later he got his bearings, and he addressed the bear in the most courteous manner possible.

"What the fuck do you want?"

_(She had an unnerving Cheshire grin that made the hairs on your neck stand on end. It almost looked like one-half of the Monokuma droids you'd sometimes encounter with your comrade. That was probably the first sign, Jonny dearest.)_

The voices weren't gone. _Of course_ , they weren't. How convenient that they flared up when Monokuma came along. And by convenient, Jon of course meant they were correlated. Either that or there was something wrong with him, which he didn't dispute nor support. Either way, he wanted to figure out why Monokuma was here.

" Breakin' my heart, Jon. I was so _sure_ that you'd warm up to me by now... Ah well!" Monokuma sighed.

_(Et venabuntur eos.)_

Jon shook his head, trying to will the voices away, but to no avail. He didn't even know what time it was for fuck's sake, and that frustrated him on top of Monokuma's sudden appearance. Sadly, there was no clock in the room, so the only way he'd figure out is if he asked Monokuma. The things you do for convenience.

"What time is it, monochrome _Ours baise?_ " Jon grumbled.

"Ah! I have my own nickname now? And in french too! Too bad it can never compare to my actual name! And to answer your question, it is after the morning announcement. You've missed your little... ahem, 'Breakfast Meetings', you kids like to do. It's almost like watching a bunch of pre-teens play house, complete with all the melodramatic drama that entails!" Monokuma rambled.

Jon sighed and rolled back onto his bed and pulled the covers over his head.

"You're probably wondering why I came to visit on this _looooooovvveeeelllly_ morning!" Monokuma said, sounding slightly muffled through the bed sheets.

"Mmm." Jon hummed.

"Well, there's two reasons! One, I came in to check up on my little bird, and Two! I wanted to check in on my little bird's mental stability!"

**_(THAT FUCKING GODDAMN BEAR GIVES NO SHITS ABOUT ANYTHING EXCEPT PETTY BULLSHIT THAT GIVES IT A FUCKING BONER DESPAIR STUPID)_ **

"I have nothing to say." Jon said, flipping the sheets so his head was uncovered. "As in, nothing to report, now fuck off."

"I think that's the nicest you've ever been to me! Most of the time you just shout at me or you tell me things through half-sentences! I really am growing on you, aren't I?" Monokuma squealed. "But seriously, I know that you know something. You called Junko Mukuro last trial, and I want to know how it came to that."

He knew that he couldn't give away that. That would not only put the room with all the files in danger, but he'd also be breaking his promise to Kyoko. If Jon was honest, he didn't much care for Kyoko, and he could tell that his feelings were reciprocated. But, he's never broken a promise

**_(OH YES YOU HAVE JONNY BOY MANY MANY PROMISES SO MANY YOU CAN'T EVEN FUCKING COUNT THEM ALL YOU FUCK UP)_ **

and he would not start now, no matter who it was too. Even though he also didn't like lying, he didn't mind it in this situation, _especially_ when it involved the bear.

"I found it in the library." he coughed. All the yelling he'd done yesterday had taken it's toll on his vocal chords. Monokuma paused for a few moments, then said:

"Now, now, now, Jon, how _unlike_ you! Telling me a lie! I never thought I'd see the day... one of my very own students lies to their headmaster! The horror!" Monokuma was feigning being offended, that was obvious.

"If you want an answer, stare at the nearest wall for a century. I'm sure it will appear someday." he mumbled.

"So, not gonna tell me, huh? Whatever! I'll find it eventually! Now, the second reason I'm here is-"

For some reason, Jon felt very uncomfortable being around Monokuma right now. Well, he always felt uncomfortable around Monokuma, but now it seemed almost... irrational, like the bear would all of a sudden jump up with it's claws outstretched, slashing at his face or something. He didn't know where this was coming from, but it was really fucking annoying.

"Before I tell you the second reason, I wanted to address this little elephant." Monokuma, with a wave of his hand, pulled out the roster that Jon had read the night before. Seeing this, Jon instantly scrambled off his bed, and reached for it. Monokuma, however, threw the roster in his mouth, and began to chew it. Making exaggerated munching noises as he did so. 

"You know," Monokuma said after devouring the roster. "Bears do eat trees, but it's usually to eat grubs 'n shit. But I'm a civilized bear! I only eat paper! It's so much tastier too! Too bad Teruteru isn't here. He could have made a paper cake or something! What's with the long face, Jon? You look like I just killed your favorite loved one in front of you! Oh! That reminds me too, do you want to know how your uncle is doing...?"

Jon was standing in front of Monokuma, with a grimace on his face. The thoughts Jon had going through his mind were all expletives and all in different languages. If he didn't have more restraint, and if he didn't feel half dead, then he would have probably pulled his handgun out and shot the bear straight in it's stupid, half black half white face. It was at the mention of his uncle that his gaze softened. Yes, his uncle. The only person who seemed to give a fuck about Jon since his mom died. Alright, _bear._

"I'm pleased to say that he is still alive! However, this time he lost a leg!" Monokuma said. "I don't mean figuratively, I mean he _literally_ lost a leg! That was the deal, remember? You keep the students alive, I keep your uncle alive!"

How could he have forgotten? Now, his uncle was down at least _two_ limbs, and his situation was not improving. Four lives and half of his uncle have been taken within the past two weeks. Jon would like to say that he only cared about his uncle, but-

_(She was actually a very pleasant person once you got past her forced persona. It was then that you started seeing her as a person instead of an asset.)_

_God damn_ , these voices were getting annoying. Not only did they spout out pointless gibberish, but they wouldn't fucking go away! Jon had concluded last night (or was it yesterday? He couldn't remember) that it had been a chip in his head implanted by Monokuma (and Shinrai) to torment him. Although, after getting what felt like _some_ sleep, his rational thought was returning.

However, he still couldn't remember what had transpired last night. He knew he got the roster from someone, and that he had said some... things. But he honestly could not remember for the life of him. It all was just a blur after he opened his door after the trial, and before he went to the library to get a... book...

_Oh shit._

"Off in your own little world there, badass?"

Jon was snapped back into reality by the ever annoying and ear-grating voice of Mr. Half-and-Half bear. He looked down at the accursed thing.

"Is that all you've come to tell me? If so, please, would you kindly fuck off?" Jon said, climbing back into the bed.

"Going back to sleep!? But it's almost eight o'clock! Don't you wanna explore the new floor that I so kindly opened up for ya? You should be thanking me for waking you up in the first place, badass! There's no rule against sleeping in, but..." Monokuma whined.

"Tell me that second thing you wanted to tell me or burn in a house fire. No, wait, do the latter _after_ you tell me the second thing." Jon said, closing his eyes.

"Ah, fine ya _stultus!_ I wanted to ask what's up with ya! You've been acting less than sane lately, and that's _me_ saying that!" Monokuma giggled.

"You calling me stupid in latin. How _inteligente._ Why do you say that?" Jon said, opening his eyes and reluctantly looking in Monokuma's direction.

"Are ya kidding me!?" Monokuma screeched. "The readers think you're an, and I quote, 'asshole', if you'll pardon my french. You shouted at practically everyone and shot at your own wall! Look!"

Monokuma pointed to the wall to the far right. Jon looked and saw a bullet sized hole in the wall. Jon sat up in his bed confused. He doesn't remember pulling the trigger. Carefully, he pulled his M1911. Sure enough, there were two bullets missing. He knew how he had used one, but the other...? This doesn't seem right...

**_(OF COURSE IT DOESN'T SEEM RIGHT YOU ARE SLEEP DEPRIVED DON'T WORRY IT WILL PASS YOU AND MUKURO NEVER NEEDED SLEEP OUT THERE YOU WON'T NEED IT HERE)_ **

Jon knew about the voices, he knew about the 'chip' in his head, he remembered going to the library, he remembered getting the roster, why can't he remember anything else? This was both frustrating and scary.

"Luckily for you, I let the bullet to the wall slide, because you didn't hurt anything that was important. Look at you! Getting excused for all your little fuck-ups! There would be some people who would literally _kill_ for the little deal we have going right now!"

And _some_ deal it was. It had occurred to him recently that Monokuma could just be lying. He would certainly have cause to. Who wouldn't want their own little spy in a group you were trying to get to kill each other? The deal was absolutely ridiculous. He saw that now. And yet, on the off chance that Monokuma was telling the truth... his uncle lying in a pool of his own blood... he just couldn't stand there and do nothing!

Yet, why was he now hesitating following through on that deal? He didn't know why. It just didn't feel right.

_(They were your friends, Jonny dearest, and she was something more.)_

"I'm fine." Jon said.

"And the lies continue! But if you're gonna be like this, than I might as well leave you in your sadness, Mistah Uragiri! I bid you _adieu!_ " Monokuma said, and while Jon wasn't looking, disappeared. 

Jon was finally left to his own thoughts. He struggled to remember what had happened last night. It almost felt like he had two sets of memories. One said that he went to sleep after he came to his room the first time, and the second told him he had entered his room twice last night. 

Jon sighed. He was getting tired of this school, of _everything._ Damn the bear, he was going to sleep, or at least lay in bed for the next hour or so. His mind was way to hectic at the moment. 

**_(YOU DON'T NEED SLEEP FUCK BOY)_ **

Jon tried his best to ignore the voices.

* * *

Makoto Naegi knew he worried to much. He worried back when his sister would come home from school ten minutes after she usually did. And even earlier he would worry about his parents when they showed up from working overtime. This, however, was different. While those times had been him worrying about something bad happening to someone he cared about, this entire situation life-threatening involved people he cared about a lot. Four of them had already died, and now Jon and Toko had failed to show up for the morning meeting.

Everyone had waited an hour for the late ones. It was Kyoko who suggested they see if the third floor was open to them. After a small debate if they should, it was decided that they would explore the third floor, and see if the other two had gone up there. If not, once they had explored the floor completely, they would look for them in their rooms. If that didn't work, then they would search everywhere. Not the most full-proof plan in the world, but it was better than waiting in the cafeteria for people who probably weren't going to show up.

So, Makoto was trying to stop worrying about them. Or, at least stop _really_ worrying about them.

Now, Makoto was exploring the third floor along with everyone else. Particularly, he was in the recreation room. The walls were a bluish-purple, and several games were throughout, including a pool table. Several orange colored jars were on top of glass case, and on closer inspection, contained several Monokuma chess pieces. Despite the odd Monokuma themed chess pieces, Makoto actually liked the room. It seemed like Celeste would also like this room, if she were still alive.

Makoto sighed. He couldn't stop thinking about the ones who couldn't make it. The ones who had given in. He felt only sympathy for them. Hifumi was a bit odd, but he had some charm. Celeste was probably a pleasant person if you actually got to know her. Byakuya... well, he seemed pretty smart. Makoto didn't know what to think of Mukuro. He didn't know her well enough to come to any conclusions. It was a bit saddening. Even further than that, though, her reveal had brought up some questions in Makoto's mind. He clearly remembers Junko Enoshima being on the list of people that would be here.

So that raised a question: Where was she?

"Makoto."

"AHH!"

Makoto jumped when he heard the voice. He bumped into the glass case with the orange bottles on it. One of them shook, and fell off. Makoto scrambled after it, and caught it right before it shattered on the floor. He sighed in relief. He got up and put the bottle in it's original position, and then looked in the direction where the voice had come from, which was towards the front of the recreation room.

Kyoko was there, and it looked like she was stifling a giggle. As she saw Makoto staring at her, though, her face quickly returned to a neutral expression. 

"I need to speak with you." she said. "It has been a long time coming, but I probably will not find a better time to do it than now."

Makoto was confused. Nevertheless, he nodded in agreement. In the middle of the recreation were two black benches, with a small wooden table in between them. Makoto sat on the one that was the farthest from the door. Kyoko sat at the opposite bench.

"What do you want to talk about?" Makoto asked.

"This may seem a bit strange," Kyoko said, lifting one gloved hand to her chin. "But have we met outside this school?"

That was a bit strange. In fact, that was probably a question he would have never expected from Kyoko. He'd only just met her, really. He'd just arrived at this school, just like everyone else, right?

"Ah, I see." Kyoko said, "You don't think we have."

"H-huh? Did I say that out loud?" Makoto stammered.

"No, but I could tell from your facial expression that you were confused by my question. I assumed that you thought he have never met before. What you just said confirmed it, though."

Makoto didn't know he was that easy to read...

"Yes, you are that easy to read."

"Come on! I can't be _that_ easy to read, right?"

"Hmm." Kyoko hummed. "Makoto, you are an open book, and I mean that in the most polite way possible."

Makoto didn't feel offended. In fact, he felt a bit curious.

"Well, how are you so good at it?"

"So good at what?"

"I mean, so good at hiding what you're thinking?" Makoto clarified. "You say I'm an open book. That's probably true. But I can never know what you're thinking. How do you do it? And why?"

Kyoko paused, and stared blankly at the nearest wall. It looked like she was thinking very carefully about what she was going to say next.

"In truth, it's not hard once you know how to." she finally said. "And to answer your second question, you basically answered it yourself. No one knows what I'm thinking or feeling. It's a shield."

Makoto wanted to ask more, like why she felt like she _needed_ a shield or a mask, but decided against it. She would tell him when she wanted to, if at all, and Makoto was perfectly fine with that. It would be rude to intrude like that.

"There is one more thing I'd like to talk about, if you'll indulge me." she said quietly

"Yeah, sure."

"I assume you saw Junko on the list of people who would be joining us at this school?" she said.

"W-well, yeah, I did. I was actually thinking about that earlier..." Makoto replied, his mind returning to the thoughts he had earlier about Junko and Mukuro. Like were they connected? He doubted it. 

"Yes, that's what I thought you'd say-." Kyoko stopped, and Makoto could see her look briefly at the camera in the corner of the room. Makoto gasped. He'd almost forgotten about the cameras. Did they have microphones in them? It wasn't like they were told they had them, but if Monokuma had... 

"I don't know if they do." Kyoko whispered, apparently reading his expression again. Just like a book. "But you can never be too careful. We should go to the..." 

"Kyoko?" Makoto said quietly, leaning towards her.

"The baths." she whispered hastily. "I don't believe there are any in there. Let's go there."

Kyoko lifted herself off the bench. Makoto did the same, and they both made there way to the baths. When they got there, however, everything was a mess.

* * *

Jon opened his door and left his room. His room had started to become too hot and stuffy for him to even sit up in let alone lay down. He was planning to leave anyway, but he suspected that Monokuma may have had a hand in making his room like that. 

Jon remembered what he had come out for, and picked up _The Time Machine_ copy he had gotten from the library the day before. Luckily, it didn't appear to be damaged from him dropping it yesterday, and he was relieved. He thought he may have accidentally damaged, or god forbid, destroyed the only piece of home in this place. He flipped the cover of the book over, just to make sure it was an English copy, not a Japanese or some other language copy. It was in English, thank the lord. It was just like old times, then.

Satisfied that the book was not damaged, he put the book under his arm, and made his way to where the stairs to the new floors were. If Monokuma wasn't lying (Jon wasn't sure if he was or not) than the third floor would be opened. It was a morbid way of 'rewarding' them for finding the correct culprit during the trials, but it was an effective one. It did make things more interesting. That was certain. Jon would have made it to the third floor, too. If it wasn't for Chihiro, he could have explored it with everyone else.

Jon saw Chihiro enter the baths. That wasn't strange in of itself, but it was the way Chihiro looked that caught Jon off guard. She had a determined, almost courageous, expression on her face, like she was about face someone in a fight she knew she could win (even though she was only 4'10. Even Makoto was taller than her). It was because of this that Jon decided to follow her. Not in a creepy way, just to see what she seemed to be so dead set on doing. One thing he knew: if he saw her undressing, he would immediately walk away.

**_(THEY KEEP MANY SECRETS JONNY BOY ONE THAT NO ONE CAN AND WILL GUESS)_ **

Jon was already fed up with the voices before he had exited his room. It almost seemed like he could get a brief reprieve from them if he left. The voice he had just 'heard' disproved this. He shook his head vigorously to try and make them stop. He had almost forgotten why he was going into the baths when he saw Chihiro opening a locker.

_(The cat didn't care much for you. You would tell her over and over again 'That cat hates me. Tomorrow, you will wake up to a corpse.')_

Jon watched in earnest from the doorway to the baths. He'd be lying if he said he didn't feel creepy, but he was curious. Who wasn't, when you thought about it? Everyone is curious in their own way. It just happened that Jon was curious about little girls who sneak off to the baths for no reason.

That actually sounded worse, so Jon stopped trying to convince himself that what he was doing was not creepy and instead focused on what Chihiro was doing.

**_(EVERYONE HAS A SECRET EVEN YOU BUT THEIR'S ARE MORE PERSONAL THAN YOURS EVER WILL BE)_ **

Seriously, if these voices didn't stop, Jon would have an aneurysm. They were making it extremely hard to focus on what Chihiro was doing. The voices went silent, though, as Chihiro pulled a laptop from a locker. Jon would have left, would have left and forgotten about this whole foray, if it wasn't for the fact that he recognized the laptop Chihiro had pulled out. It was the same laptop that used to be in the library, the one that was either not charged or broken, and Chihiro was just typing away on it, occasionally her face brightened up for no discernible reason. 

**_(COME ONE COME ALL THE REVIVAL OF ANOTHER SELF HAS ARRIVED)_ **

_(The programmer was always more smart and courageous then they let on.)_

_(Alter Ego venit.)_

"For fuck's sake..." Jon mumbled, rubbing his temples and looking down to the ground. Where had this headache come from? It was annoying. Hopefully they had Advil in here... he doubted it, though.

A sharp gasp brought him back to reality. He looked up to see Chihiro. She was staring directly at him, her face blanched, and a hand was over her mouth to stop a gasp unsuccessfully. Jon had expected her to scream. not gasp, at his intruding. That was the thing girls did, right? if they caught you peaking, they screamed and slapped you (although Jon doubted that Chihiro could even get enough height on him to reach his neck let alone his face.), and then they stormed off with rosy cheeks. Since Chihiro didn't do any of these, Jon decided to approach her.

"U-um I can explain..." Chihiro squeaked.

"You can expl- Oh yeah, the laptop, right. Yes, that would be ideal." Jon said, briefly forgetting what he was doing. Why was he having such trouble remembering things? This was unlike him. As Jon advanced, Chihiro took steps back, like she was scared of him. Which wasn't out of the realm of possibility, but Jon felt a bit... sad as she did so.

"I-I, u-um, I just wanted t-to see what was on the laptop at first. You know, check what was on it n' stuff." she said, and Jon noticed she was picking up some of Mondo's speech patterns. An interesting if inconsequential detail. However, as he thought about that, he had apparently made a face that scared Chihiro in some way, because she went to one of the corners of the room and kept her eyes firmly locked on Jon's. She was trembling and Jon literally had no idea why. Why was she so scared of him?

"Master, are you ok?"

It was Chihiro's voice that spoke, but Chihiro's lips didn't move. At first, Jon thought that maybe she was trying to dupe him. Like she was a ventriloquist and was purposefully trying to diverge his attention somewhere else so she could escape. 

"Master, are you alright? I haven't done anything to upset you, have I?"

There it was. That voice again. Where was it coming from? Jon looked around the room several times, overlooking the laptop, and looked back towards Chihiro again.

"Ok, quit it with that. I'm not going to hurt you, alright? I just wanted to know what you were doing; stop acting like I'm going to fucking beat you." Jon mumbled. Chihiro's behavior made him feel sad in a way that was indescribable. Chihiro just continued to look at him, her eyes as wide as dinner plates. Then she pointed a shaky finger behind Jon. Jon followed the direction she was pointing to and found the laptop. It's screen was dark. Jon looked back at Chihiro incredulously.

"Really?" he wheezed, it was difficult to speak with the way his throat hurt. "Are you suddenly mute or something? Anyway, laptops don't spe-"

"Ah, Hello! Are you Jon Uragiri?"

Jon stopped, and slowly turned his head back to the laptop. On the screen was what looked like the disembodied head of Chihiro. If Chihiro wasn't standing just a few feet away in a corner, Jon might have mistook it for her. He could barely registered what he was seeing with Chihiro in the room with him. Who knew what he would have thought if she wasn't?

"I... what the hell? What did you do? What is..." Jon tried to get his point across. He wasn't angry, no, he was more confused and surprised if anything, but his tone of voice must have made him sound angry, because Chihiro simply hid her eyes behind her hands, and knelt in the corner.

"Ok, please, calm down, I'm no-" Jon said.

"Why are you making Master cry, Jon Uragiri? Did he do something to you?" the laptop said.

Jon turned back to the laptop, and walked towards it. He sat on the bench that the laptop was placed on, and studied the image before him. What he saw was the spitting image of Chihiro, there was no doubt about that, but now that he was closer, he could make out other details as well. The whole image was a bright green color, and behind the image of Chihiro, Jon could make out little streams of green-colored code 'float' to and fro. It was actually a very pleasant image.

"Who are you?" Jon asked. At any point before this time, Jon would have scoffed if you told him he would later talk to an inanimate object, but then... here he was.

The image of Chihiro just stared back at him blankly, occasionally blinking. What would a computer have use for blinking? It did make it seem more lifelike, he supposed.

"Y-you have to type." Chihiro said. Jon looked back at her briefly. She was standing up again, but she was still trembling. Seriously, why was she so scared? "T-the microphone is b-broken..." Her voice was slightly quavering.

"If only the one's in the walls were..." Jon mumbled to himself.

"Oh!" the head in the laptop seemed to perk up. Jon wasn't completely sure how. "If you wish to speak to me, simply input text using the keyboard!"

"No need to be pushy." Jon said, typing rapidly on the machine. In truth, he didn't much care for computers. He could never get a handle on how they truly worked. The most he had even done with one was write a small paper about a subject who couldn't even remember years ago. He's never used a true computer or laptop since. He never expected to break that streak inside of this _Höllenloch_ , but what can you do?

 **WHO ARE YOU?** Jon typed. He didn't know why the text was in all capital letters, but he went with it.

"I am Alter Ego!" the face replied cheerily. "I was created to decode the files locked on this laptop! If you want a status update, I am currently 53% finished decoding the files!" 

_(The confused one, the tormented, the unlikely hero, the angel, all of these names could be used to describe the programmer.)_

Jon was so focused on what Alter Ego had said that he had almost forgotten about the voices entirely. It was pleasant not having them around. Now they were back. _Joy_. 

"Are you alright as well, Jon Uragiri?" The program said. "You appear distressed. I can give therapy sessions, should you require them! I'm not sure how well I'd perform, I'm afraid. I'm not used to talking with people..."

If it was possible, Alter Ego seemed slightly sad at it's own remarks. But that was impossible, right? How can a computer program... feel? 

**_**(YOU SHOULD KEEP AN OPEN MIND JONNY BOY KEEPING IT CLOSED HAS NEARLY GOTTEN YOU KILLED AT LEAST TWICE)** _ **

Damn these voices to _hell._ Jon may need to use those therapy sessions if he has to keep listening to them shout all day. It was like three people just decided it would be a good idea to set up shop in the same place in his mind and were now arguing. He tried to focus on something, _anything_. Maybe that would get rid of these annoying as hell voices. He turned away from the laptop again to check on Chihiro.

It looked like she had calmed down a lot. She had actually inched closer to Jon as he had talked to the program. As she realized she was being watched by him, though, she shrunk back into her original position in the corner.

"Ok, I'm not going to hurt you. Could you _please_ come out of that corner?" Jon said. Again, it seemed he had come off more aggressive than he thought, as Chihiro, at first, seemed to lock in place. However, she soon took Jon's advice and walked right next to him. Jon could almost feel the vibrations in the floor, she was shaking so badly.

"Ok... Ok... Alter Ego?" Jon questioned, looking at Chihiro. "Another self?"

Chihiro nodded. "It f-fits, right?"

"Yeah, I guess it does." He said, typing on the keyboard again. He asked a different question this time.

**HOW DID YOU KNOW MY NAME WAS JON URAGIRI?**

"Y-you have Caps-Lock o-on." Chihiro pointed out shakily.

"Caps-what?" He asked.

"Here," she said. "Let me just..." Chihiro pressed a button, and deleted Jon's question. All the while Alter Ego stared at them both in interest.

"Try now."

Jon did as he was told, and retyped his question.

**how did you know my name was jon uragiri/**

"He he..." Chihiro giggled. Jon ignored her, and hit 'enter'. A few seconds later, Alter Ego answered.

"Oh! Master has told me all about your current situation! He's even told me all about you guys! You fit the description of the one labeled 'Jon Uragiri' in my database!" Alter Ego paused. "Master believes that you are a scary person and that you sometimes start arguments when originally there were none!"

Jon paused, and then slowly turned to look at Chihiro, who wasn't giggling anymore.

"Well, fuck you too, Cheerio." Jon muttered.

Jon did not mean for that statement to come off as entirely malicious, hence his nickname for Chihiro. However, as had happened since he'd gotten entered the baths, Chihiro must have misunderstood, because she solemnly looked down.

"I-I'm sorry..." she whispered. Jon could see the beginnings of tears at the corners of her eyes. At this, he tried to blow over the situation. He hadn't meant for it to be like this.

"Ok, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that-"

At that point, something happened that, at the time, Jon considered extreme bad luck. But later, he would consider it a godsend and a stroke of good luck. At that moment, the person he least expected entered the baths.

"What the hell did ya do!?"

And that person was Mondo Owada.

* * *

Kyoko Kirigiri had only wanted to talk with Makoto in private. She didn't want to talk with him yesterday, not about this, especially after the incident with Jon, but she needed at least one person to confide into, and Makoto was probably the person she trusted the most in this school. Albeit, she still didn't trust him all too much, but she had concluded that it was highly unlikely that he was the mastermind behind this, and that placed him higher on her 'trust' list than everyone else in this school. Besides, she had her own suspicions on who the mastermind was...

She had been so eager to talk with him that she approached him as soon as the third floor was opened up. She had met him in a recreational room, by the looks of it, and they spoke a bit. However, just before she continued to talk to him about Mukuro and Junko, she remembered the cameras. Jon was a lunatic, of that she was almost certain, but maybe he was correct to assume that the cameras had microphones. Even on the chance that they did, she shouldn't have said anything near one. Luckily for her, she didn't talk about much before she noticed. Certainly nothing that would draw the masterminds ire. Even if they did, they would have sent Monokuma if they belived what they were saying was particularly important. So, that's how she decided to take Makoto to the baths. 

"U-Um, Kyoko? Why _are_ we going to the-"

"Because there are no cameras." she interrupted quietly.

"But what if they have microphones in the walls?" Makoto pointed out. "They don't need cameras in there to have microphones, do they?"

"Then we'll write." Kyoko replied. "I'm sure we can safely do that, if nothing else."

"I guess that could work..." Makoto trailed off. They were only a short way away from the baths now. If they keep their pace, they would be there in less than a minute.

She and Makoto were right outside the entrance when she heard the shouting.

"The fuck did you just say to Chi, motherfucker!? I swear I'll pound ya into the nearest wall if you say that shit again!"

"I was fucking joking around you muscle-headed, baguette-haired, _idiota!_ "

"The fuck did ya just call me, ya little bitch!?"

"I'm not in the mood to deal with you right now, so if you could please just fuck off, that'd be great!"

"I'm not goin' nowhere! Apologize! Now!"

"Only if you learn the secret of how to avoid double negatives, _þroskaheftur._ "

Kyoko sighed in annoyance. It seemed Jon had gotten into _another_ argument. Typical. She wasn't even surprised anymore. However, she wasn't going to back down. She had come here to talk (or write) with Makoto in private, and that was exactly what she was going to do. Argument or no argument, she was doing it today. And if the two bickering in the baths had a problem with it, then she would persuade them to leave and continue it somewhere else. She really didn't care.

"Uh, do you really think we should go in there?" Makoto questioned. "I-I mean, they sound pretty heated in their..."

"Yes, we are." Kyoko said. "We are going to do exactly what we came to do. Heated argument or not. Let's go."

Kyoko entered the baths, with Makoto following reluctantly behind her. Quickly, she analyzed the scene before her.

Both Jon and Mondo were standing up. They were both separated by a bench with a laptop on it. She recognized this laptop instantly. It was the laptop that had disappeared from the library a few days before. Chihiro was nearby, in between the two hotheads. She was half cowering, half trying to get them to both to stop shouting at each other. A valiant, if fruitless, effort. Her voice was completely drowned out by the other two loud voices.

"Can we please-"

"Everything was going fine until you showed up, pompadour. _Everything!_ I don't even-"

"Oh really? All I saw was Chi crying! You were the only one in here, so it had to be you!"

"You have absolutely no brain-" Jon descended into a coughing fit. Kyoko could see little specks of phlegm on his fist as he recovered. All the shouting he had done yesterday, and now, had finally taken it's toll on his vocal chords.

"Oh, it's _you._ " Jon wheezed, looking in Kyoko and Makoto's direction. "Fantastic. First, I had to deal with Mondo 'I was dropped as a baby' Owada, and now I have to deal with Kyoko 'I'm so fucking secretive' Kirigiri."

"Charming." Kyoko said. "I was hoping me and Makoto could talk, alone."

"In the baths?' Mondo asked. "You aren't planning on doin' antyhin'... steamy, are ya?"

"Of course _you_ would jump to conclusions, Pompodour. Befitting of one with only five working brain cells." Jon snarled, and then coughed again.

"Hey! What else am I 'sposed to think!? Huh!? People don't usually do this kinda thing!"

"Can we ple-"

"You have the social skills of a goddamn snail, you know that?"

"At least I don't start talking in other languages to seem cooler, language guy!"

"It's Linguist, _Jackass._ If you're going to insult me, you could at least get my talent right."

"Both of you, _quiet._ " Kyoko said, in the most threatening and icy voice she could manage. Her voice had the desired effect, as all three of them turned their attention to her.

"I don't care what you all do." she said. "But you need to do it away from here. Makoto and I are going to discuss something important. We need you all to _leave._ "

"Well," Mondo said. "I guess we cou- wait, what are you doing?"

Mondo turned to Jon, who was biting his thumb in Kyoko's direction.

"I bite my thumb at you, ma'am." he said, briefly pulling his thumb out and putting it back in.

"Makes ya look like a friggin' kid." Mondo said.

Jon turned to Mondo, still biting his thumb.

"The hell does it even mean?"

"It means 'Fuck you.'"

"Well fuck ya too!" Mondo said, pulling the middle finger.

"How crass." Jon said. "I should have expected only that from a _biker._ "

"The hell did ya just say!? You makin' fun of me!?"

"You already make fun of yourself, _Biker_."

" _I'll fuckin' destroy ya!_ "

" _ **ENOUGH!**_

Even Kyoko slightly jolted when she heard it. Makoto was on the ground, he had been spooked so badly. Mondo, Jon, and Chihiro's focus was no directed solely towards the entrance to the baths. Kyoko followed their gaze, and turned around. Sakura stood there. Her muscles rippling, her eyes blazing, she looked furious.

"This quarreling will get you no where!" she bellowed. "Stop this immediately! It is tiring to watch people fight for no discernible reason!"

Kyoko's thoughts exactly. It was almost like Sakura had read her mind. Kyoko looked behind her to see if Hina was anywhere nearby, but she saw no one.

"He started it." Jon mumbled, avoiding looking Sakura in the eye. "He's the one who charged in here in the first place..."

"Don't blame this on me!" Mondo defended. "I was lookin' out for Chi!"

"I do not care!" Sakura's voice dwarfed both Jon's and Mondo's. She walked into the baths, past Kyoko and Makoto, who continued to watch the scene unfold. "If you continue to fight each other like children, than I see no other option then to treat you as such!" 

Jon raised an eyebrow. "What does that mean?'

"Both of you. Follow me. We are going to have a friendly chat. _In private._ " Sakura said, beckoning them both to follow her out of the baths.

"Like hell I will." Jon said, crossing his arms. "You think this _biker_ will listen to re-"

"If you don't follow me willingly, then I need to remind you that I will stand the arguing no longer." Sakura said.

"Alright, _fine._ " Jon spat. "What do you say, Mondo? Want to have a a lil' chit chat in a private locale?"

"The hell does that mean?"

"Do you want to talk or not?"

Mondo looked unsure, but then looked in Sakura's direction. He then nodded.

"Fine, I'll go."

And just like that, Kyoko's situation solved itself. Mondo, Sakura, and Jon left the baths in silence. It was funny how situations like this seemed to solve themselves. Kyoko reminded herself to thank Sakura for intervening. 

"Hey... Chihiro, are you ok?" Makoto said, approaching the little programmer.

"I wasn't able to stop them..." Chihiro whimpered. "This is all my fault... I caused this! I should have never checked on Alter Ego..."

"No, don't act that way, Chihiro, it wasn't your fault! Mondo's has always been a bit hotheaded, and Jon, well, Jon is Jon." Makoto said, trying to comfort her.

"Who's Alter Ego?" Kyoko asked. Chihiro had said it like the name belonged to a person, and so Kyoko called it as such. This was certainly becoming interesting. Chihiro simply pointed at the laptop. Kyoko walked towards it, and the instant she did, a face popped up.

"H-have they stopped arguing yet?"

Kyoko forgot about her private conversation she was supposed to have with Makoto. This probably took precedence over that. 

This day just got more interesting, indeed.

* * *

Jon had made a mistake. This mistake had two punishments. One, he was now walking side by side with Mondo Owada, with Sakura Ogami in front of them, leading them to what he assumed was a classroom on the first floor, based on the door they were heading towards. This wouldn't have happened if he had just tried to smooth it over with Mondo, explained his reasoning, but he had done what he had always done: fight back. Jon was not one to be insulted and let the person who did so get away with it. So when Mondo had charged into the baths, yelling, Jon yelled back. Second, his throat was on _fire_. It felt like someone had dumped liquid steel into his mouth and let it flow down his windpipe. If he kept this up, he wouldn't be talking anymore.

Sakura led Mondo and Jon to the exact place Jon suspected her to take them: a classroom. She opened the door, and kept it open as Jon and Mondo entered. Once inside, Sakura grabbed two desks, and placed them in front of each other towards the front of the classroom. After that, she grabbed one more, and placed it near the other two. 

Sakura gestured towards the desks. "Sit."

"Ya gotta be friggin' kiddin' me!" Mondo exclaimed. "Are we seriously doin' this!?"

"Yes, you will." she replied, sitting down on the desk she had gotten for herself. "Sit."

Jon did as he was told. Sakura was probably the one person who he both respected and feared in this entire school. Well, that wasn't true. He respected Makoto quite a bit, but feared? No. Sakura was the only one who could do that.

Mondo, after a bit of coaxing by Sakura, sat down as well.

"Now, talk this out." she said. "Or you will have to deal with me."

"What happened to treating us like children?" Jon said.

Sakura glanced in his direction. "I have taken you both away from everyone else. I have forced you to sit down. This is how you deal with immature children, if you ask me."

Jon shut his mouth. He just stared at Mondo, who stared back. It was almost like a staring contest, without the friendly competitive atmosphere.

"Speak." Sakura ordered.

"So, uh..." Mondo began. "Ya have anythin' to say?"

_(The biker was a softy. Not to anyone at first, but it started to show as the year went on. You actually started liking him.)_

Jon was going to have the time of his life, wasn't he?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god, this is the longest chapter yet. Over 7,000 words. It really makes me wonder why I split the trial into two parts. Oh well.
> 
> BTW, if you want to know what the future of this fic will be...
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yi-ZIOmB6EM


	22. Bonding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rushed the ending bit of this chapter, not by much, but it's slightly less descriptive than I'd like it to be, but I'm not going to change it because I'll probably just make it worse.

.

Makoto was trying his best to comfort Chihiro, but it wasn't working. She would either say something he couldn't understand, or self deprecate herself. It almost reminded him of his sister in a way. Sometimes, she would come home crying for a reason she would tell no one. But, with his sister, he was eventually able to get her to confide in him, and it turned out she was being bullied by several other girls for being too 'plain'. Maybe, with Chihiro, he could do the same?

"Ok, Chihiro, could you tell what is wrong with you? I want to help you, I really do. Please, let me."

"Y-you wouldn't understand..." she replied solemnly.

"You don't know that." Makoto said. "You haven't told me anything yet! If you never do, then I'll never understand!"

Chihiro seemed surprised, but she continued speaking anyway.

"I-I just wanted to do something useful..." she said. "I wanted to help. Ever since that incident with Byakuya, I've felt like I'm just a liability... So I got the laptop, and I wanted to see what was on it. I even made Alter Ego to help me! I was going to tell everyone, I swear I was! But then Jon came in-"

"Of course he would barge in." Kyoko sighed, walking to where Chihiro and Makoto were sat. "He can't keep his nose out of anyone's business. He's willing to jeopardize anything to suit his own needs."

"W-well, I did kinda... freak out when he came in. He wasn't even shouting or anything, I just remembered that he had-"

Before Chihiro could finish her sentence, she stopped herself. Then, she got up and went towards the laptop. Makoto hadn't noticed the laptop, he was too focused on Chihiro to. Kyoko followed her to it, and began asking questions.

"How long have you been working on it?"

"U-um, I'd prefer if you called it 'her', but I've been working on her for, uh... couple days."

Makoto got up and joined them. Displayed on the screen was Chihiro's head.

It took Makoto a few seconds to process what he was seeing. It was definitely Chihiro's head. It was green, but it was her head. How did she...? Why did she...?

"W-why is your head on the screen?" Makoto managed to stammer out

Chihiro shrugged. "I dunno. I wanted to put something there, so I wasn't talking to a blank screen all the time, y' know? It would get kinda awkward..."

"Has the program made any discoveries so far?" Kyoko asked.

"No, she hasn't. Nothing important at least." Chihiro replied.

"No matter how unimportant something may seem to you, you should never dismiss it as unimportant to everyone." Kyoko said.

"I'm sorry..." Chihiro said, looking down. "I guess I should have told you guys earlier, huh?"

"That would have been ideal, yes."

"It was because of that that Mondo and Jon had got into a fight... If I had just told you guys earlier, maybe Jon wouldn't have gotten curious over why I was going to the baths."

"Come on, Chihiro you couldn't ha-"

"Never blame yourself over what Jon started." Kyoko said.

"Huh?" 

That didn't sound right. Chihiro was self deprecating herself a lot. It actually made Makoto feel uncomfortable. But how was this Jon's fault? As far as either Makoto or Kyoko knew, anyone could have started their fight. Why did it necessarily have to be Jon? It was almost like Kyoko was holding a grudge. Which, Makoto thought, would not help anyone in the future.

"You can ask Alter Ego anything you want." Chihiro said, standing up straight. "Anything you need. I'm sorry for not saying anything before. I should have realized that the information on the laptop would be important to someone here. I'm sorry."

"You don't need to apologize so much." Kyoko said. "But thank you for being cooperative. Unlike someone I know."

Makoto had a hunch who this 'someone' was, but he decided to not comment on it. Maybe Kyoko was just having a bad day today. Hopefully, she wouldn't keep this hatred forever.

"However, I should apologize to you, Makoto."

"Huh?" 

"We will have to continue our conversation at another time. I believe we should find out all Alter Ego has to say."

Oh, so that's what she meant. In truth, Makoto wasn't to bummed about it. They had plenty of time to talk later. It's not like they were going anywhere. He did agree with Kyoko. Finding out what Alter Ego has found out probably is a bit more important than a simple conversation.

"It's fine." he said. "I don't mind, really. We should find out what she has to say."

"Good." Kyoko said simply. "Now..."

Kyoko began typing rapidly on the laptops keyboard. During their entire conversation, the face on the screen had not moved. It would blink, he saw it do so, but it didn't do much else. It was almost like she was waiting for them. As Kyoko typed, however, Makoto saw the face blink rapidly, and become a little bigger. He assumed this meant it was paying attention now. Makoto looked at what Kyoko was typing.

**What have you uncovered?**

"Ah! You must be Kyoko Kirigiri! And Makoto Naegi! Nice to meet you! I am currently 53% finished decrypting the files on this laptop! I can tell you what I have uncovered so far, but most of it seems unimportant."

"How does it know our names?" Kyoko questioned.

"I-I've told it all about our situation here! You don't need to ask it how it knows you! Really, you don't!" Chihiro said, waving her arms in front of her defensively.

Her behavior was odd, and Makoto was sure Kyoko noticed this too, but they simply went on typing questions to the AI.

**Please, tell us.**

"Ah, well, let me check..."

The face disappeared, leaving a blank black screen for a few seconds. Makoto was wondering if she was going to come back when the face reappeared.

"All that could really interest you, and the only thing that is complete, is a notepad file." Alter Ego reported. "And even that is short. It was the easiest thing to decode in here, so I went for it first."

Alter Ego's tone had become more uniform, almost business like. It was different from the cheery AI that they had been talking to. Makoto had to remind himself that this _was_ an AI, not a real person. He had to give Chihiro credit, this AI almost felt like a real person.

"Have you read the file, Chihiro?" Kyoko asked, looking at her.

"No." Chihiro said. "I got the weirdest feeling when Alter Ego said that. Besides, it's just a notepad file. You can't do a lot with notepad."

"Hmm." Kyoko hummed, and then she typed on the keyboard again.

**Bring up the file.**

"Just a moment!" Alter Ego said, in her usual cheery voice. Makoto felt slightly relieved when her normal tone of voice returned. A few seconds later, a notepad file opened up, and on it was one single paragraph.

_I have had enough. Jin refuses to believe us. You know what we have to do. Of course I do. Get ready, we'll be opening the doors in less than a few days, once we have made all of the preparations. We'll all meet at the entrance hall once we've dealt with Jin._

Makoto looked at it for what felt like an eternity. He read it over and over again. Every time he did so, the questions only piled in his mind. Not only had the file mentioned Mukuro, it had mentioned someone name 'Jin'. Who was 'Jin'? What did he have to do with anything? 

Makoto looked over to Chihiro. She had a hand over he mouth, and her eyes were very wide. Makoto looked over at Kyoko, and was stunned by what he saw. Kyoko was grimacing. Not a slight twitch of her brow. A full on _grimace_ had formed on her face. It alarmed Makoto to see her like this. Shakily, he reached out to her.

"K-Kyoko?" 

This snapped Kyoko out of it. Quickly, and without ceremony, her grimace melted into her usual stoic expression. She got up from her sitting position, and took a deep breath. She sat back down, and typed a new question.

**How old is that file?**

"The file was left open when I was created on this computer." Alter Ego said. "I saved it before it closed, and then decrypted it from there."

"Ok." Kyoko said. "Thank you for your time, Chihiro, but I must get going."

"W-what? I-I mean, yeah, ok. Do you want me to tell everyone else about-"

"Yes, you may." she interrupted. "If we discovered it, then it's only a matter of time before everyone does. I suppose everyone will come down and hold a meeting once they have finished exploring. Then would be the best time to tell them."

"O-ok. I'll see if I can help Alter Ego with decrypting these files..."

"That would be for the best."

It all happened so fast Makoto barely registered she was moving. One minute she was standing by him with her eyes closed, the next she was halfway across the room. Makoto wanted to call out to her, to say something, but the way she was walking right now... it was the same way she walked when Jon had given her that paper with Mukuro's name on it. That felt like a century ago now. She walked incredibly fast and never looking anywhere but forward. Makoto decided against calling out to her, at least for now. He had a feeling doing so would make the situation worse.

"Did you want to stay here, Makoto?" Chihiro called out nervously.

"I guess I'll explore the rest of the third floor." Makoto said. "Thanks Chihiro."

"What're you thanking me for?"

"For being there, I guess."

* * *

"...and then he just came outta nowhere, I never even saw him, and he just starts beating these guys into paste!"

"I call bullshit! There's no way he could do that! You said he was eating noodles halfway across the city! How could he get there in less than five minutes!?"

"I dunno, you'd be surprised what my bro was able to pull off. Sometimes, I thought he was a magician or some shit, but that never happened again after that, so I guess it was a one-time thing."

Jon never thought talking to Mondo Owada of all people could be this interesting or fun. By god, Jon was having _fun._ It's been a long time since he had _fun_ talking with another human being. The last time was with Leon, but Jon hadn't talked with him recently, and talking with the same person in this school could get a bit dull anyway. Anyway, Jon never thought of Mondo as being anything but a muscle-headed idiot, but underneath that exterior was an actual _person_. A good person, at that.

Their full conversation started around five minutes after Sakura brought them into the classroom. Before then, they had just stared at each other. Occasionally, Mondo would attempt to start the conversation, but all he would say was 'Have anythin' to say?' and it just got ear grating after awhile. Jon compared it to when Shinrai would attempt to start a conversation when Jon was having a bad day (this being before his _betrayal._ ). Mondo misinterpreted this as Jon sharing a story, and so shared one of his own involving his brother, and from there it just took off.

Jon noticed that Sakura was now smirking. Not a condescending one, not like _Kyoko's_ , but a genuine grin. Mondo would listen as Jon would tell him a funny story about him and Shinrai, and Jon would listen as Mondo recounted a story involving his brother. This went on for about an hour, and Jon felt like it was the best hour of his life. At least, at that moment he did.

"That reminds me, you know how Shinrai was a badass, right?"

"Yeah! I remember you said that he said it ran in the family?"

"I fucking doubt it did, but that's not what I was going to say. I got jumped by some kids at school, right? Like, maybe three of four, with one, big, chubby ass fourteen year old as their ringleader. Now, lil' scrawny thirteen year old me didn't stand a goddamn _chance._ "

"You're still scrawny now, language guy."

"Yeah, and you've been muscular your whole life. You probably were doing bench presses using your umbilical chord. Anyway-"

"Aw Jesus! Ya got a vivid imagination there."

"So I've been told. But as I was saying. They jump me, right? And they force me to empty my pockets. I told Shinrai the next day, and you know what he did?"

"What did he do?"

"He pulls out a pair of brass knuckles out of his fucking jacket and his voice goes all deep, and he's like 'Where the fuck are they?' I never saw those kids again. True story."

"Fuckin' hell! He was a badass, wasn't he?"

"Was."

"Well goddamn!"

Yes, Jon was enjoying this immensely. He'd almost forgotten all the good times with Shinrai. It was nice to remember them now, while he felt good enough to say them. It was nice to finally talk to someone about it. It did help that the voices seemed to be gone.

_(The biker was a good guy deep down. A bit abrasive and loud, but then again, that's a trait you both share.)_

Speak of the devil. It's almost like they were waiting.

"Ya ok? Your face went all blank and you looked stoned."

"Oh? I'm fine. Sorry."

"If ya say so. Ya had this far away look on your face for a second there."

"I suppose. I've just been having trouble... concentrating recently, if that makes sense."

"That has nothing to do with the dark circles around your eyes, does it?" Sakura spoke up for the first time since their conversation started, and it just had to be a sarcastic remark, didn't it? 

"No, Sakura, these dark circles have _nothing._ to do with it. I'm only a little tired all the time. Nothing big." he said. 

"Lack of sleep has been known to increase stress, and you may have weight fluctuations and chemical imbalances. I would not recommend continuing to forgo sleep." Sakura advised.

"Hmm." Jon hummed. He had nothing to say to that. That's the thing about Sakura. She was _smart._ She probably knew what she was talking about.

"Hey, been meaning to ask, but what's that?" Mondo said, pointing to Jon's arm. Specifically, what was under Jon's arm.

"Oh. This?" Jon pulled out _The Time Machine_ from underneath his arm. How could he have almost forgotten it was there? Sakura was right, he needed to get more sleep. If he could forget about something _this_ important to him twice in the last twenty four hours, than there was something wrong.

"This is just a book I used to read." Jon explained. "My mom bought me a copy, I think that was... almost a decade ago now."

"You haven't said anything about your mom." Mondo said. "Did something... happen?"

"I guess you could say that." Jon said. "I don't remember much about what happened. It's actually how I got interested in language."

"Wait, you got into language because-"

"Yes, I got into language because my mom died." Jon finished. It didn't faze him so much to say it anymore.

"Shit, man, I'm sorry." Mondo apologized.

"No need to apologize." Jon said. "Doesn't affect me much anymore. It was almost a decade ago."

Mondo caughed awkwardly.

"Ah, well, Taka'll probably be wondering where I am. I probably have to say sorry to Chi too." Mondo said, lifting himself out of the seat.

"I guess, if that's ok with Sakura?" Jon said, glancing in the martial artist's direction. She nodded, and got up herself. Jon followed their example, and got up as well. The three of them left the classroom, where Jon and Mondo exchanged goodbyes, and went their separate ways.

"You did good." Sakura said before Jon left. "You handled it better than I thought you would."

"Well, thanks? I guess?" Jon didn't know how to respond to that.

"Don't mention it." Sakura said, giving one last smirk before walking towards the stairs.

Jon stood there in the empty hallway for awhile, thinking about what had just happened. He now understood how Taka could become friends with Mondo (although Jon was still not thoroughly convinced that they weren't in a homosexual relationship). The guy was actually pretty decent once you got to know him. He didn't even know what time it was, but he didn't care. He felt _happy._ He realized that this was a temporary happiness - no doubt the voices would drag him down again - but for now, Jon was content.

At this, he decided to go to the library. Not for any particular reason, just because he wanted to. It would be a good place to read _The Time Machine_ alone. Not that he particularly minded if Leon, Makoto, or Mondo ~~Taeko~~ , interrupted him. He was in a good mood to the point where he wouldn' mind if they had interrupted him. Hell, let them come if they wanted to. He could use the company.

He entered the library, and sat down in a chair. _The Time Machine_ was just as good as he remembered it. It felt even better with it being the first publication, and in English no less! It was truly a lucky find.

**_(YOU THINK ABOUT YOUR 'FRIENDS' SO MUCH AND YET YOU KNOWINGLY BETRAYED THEM YOU ARE A GODDAMN HYPOCRITE) ___**

And the annoyance continues. Jon wasn't sure if what he was experiencing was the result of a chip in his head. The possibilities were extensive on what they could be. For now, Jon tried to ignore them.

_(You, who was betrayed, have now become the betrayer. How ironic. The gambler would be disappointed._

" _Shut up._ "

Jon hadn't even meant to speak then. It was almost like his voice had developed a mind of it's own, one with a completely different agenda from him. His throat still hurt terribly, probably worse than before, and he really shouldn't be talking, considering he just spoke with Mondo for about an hour.

_(Non fefelli amor.)_

" _I said shut up._ "

He was speaking English now, just like the book in front of him, which he had now stopped reading to try and deal with these voices. But as soon as he turned his attention to them, they disappeared. Just like that, _gone._ Without a trace. Not even an echo was left behind.

Jon tried to ignore anything else that happened, but it was difficult. He had the book, and that helped, but he couldn't get this nagging feeling at of the back of his head. It was like an itch he couldn't scratch. It felt like he had done something _wrong._

He had a feeling what this 'wrongness' was. And he wasn't prepared to face it. Not yet.

* * *

Kyoko was in turmoil. _Utter turmoil._ Her head throbbed with every step she took towards her dorm. She could barely keep up her stoic expression as she made her way. Something in that paragraph on the notepad file, it had done something. She didn't know what, but it felt like something important. All the while, a single sentence played on in her mind:

**NICHT EIN SCHLACT, EIN RETTUNGSAKTION.**

It just had to be in a different language, didn't it? It was tormenting her that she couldn't understand what the phrase meant. If she could focus for two seconds, she just might have asked one question: Why was it in a different language? She didn't know what language it was, but she was certain she had heard it before, but from where? And by whom? It was impossible, she could barely think with this massive headache. She needed to get somewhere private, _now._

Finally, she made it to her room. She opened the door as fast as she could, and slammed it shut. As soon as she did so, she catapulted herself into her bed, with her face on a pillow, and screamed. She screamed for what felt like an eternity.

Again, the phrase pulsed through her mind like a beating of a heart. **NICHT EIN SCHLACT, EIN RETTUNGSAKTION.** What did it mean? _What did it mean?_ A mystery she could solve. How _despairful._ She didn't feel like she could take it for much longer.

Another thing popped in her head, not unlike the time she remembered her own grandfather's name. However, while her grandfather's name had entered her mind seamlessly, and she didn't feel any animosity toward the name, the name that entered her mind felt like an invader, a _conqueror_ , and only feelings of hatred and abandonment followed it.

_My father's name is Jin Kirigiri._

When she remembered her _father's_ name, she stopped screaming. It wasn't because the pain had stopped, no, if anything it had gotten worse. It was just that the emotions that followed it were so powerful, so foreign, that it completely overwhelmed all conscious thought and action. Abandonment? Animosity? She had never felt anything like it, not while in the school. If the pain would just stop, than maybe she could make sense of what was going on, but it didn't feel like it was going to stop anytime soon.

And it didn't. For at least an hour she laid there with her face pressed against a pillow, trying her best to retain her normal composure as she rode out the rest of her headache (although calling it a headache was like calling an eight magnitude earthquake a small tremor, she thought.). As time went past, the pain slowly ebbed. Slowly, she sat up on her bed, and tried to figure out what had, or was, happening.

It was obvious that her father had done something, to her or to those she cared for, because of the rage and hatred she felt when she remembered his name, but that feeling of loneliness, that feeling of _abandonment_ , that was something she would have never thought would be attached to her fathers name. He was her father, right? What could have happened?

She thought this over, until she heard her doorbell ring.

* * *

Makoto found a photo. 

He had explored the third floor just like he said he would. He had found the science room, which had an air purifier in it, as Monokuma told him, with an attached storage room. There was also an art room, with another attached storage room. That is where he found the photo, in the storage room that was attached to the art room. The storage room itself was nothing special. There was what you would usually find in a storeroom. The picture was what stood out the most to him.

It had Chihiro typing on a computer, with Taka behind her, pointing at something on the screen that wasn't in the frame. The real shocker was what was in the background, though. First of all, it showed Celeste, sitting at a table with a cup of what looked like tea in her hand. It had been so long since Makoto saw Celeste that he almost didn't recognize her. The person sitting next to her was recognizable though. _Very_ recognizable.

It was Jon. And it looked like he was the one who had made the tea. He had another tea cup in his hand, and was drinking out of it. They were all inside it looked like, and inside Hope's Peak as well, but the last thing that stood out about the room were the windows. They were unsealed. As in, there were no massive metal sheets covering them.

It was a good thing he got a good look at the picture while he could, because Monokuma showed up a second later, and swiped it out of his hands.

"Uh uh! That's mine! You can't have it! Down boy! Bad dog! Stealing is not allowed in a school environment!" he shrieked, waving the photo in victory.

"H-hey! Give it back! I found it!"

"Nope! Sorry, but this is mine! You can't have it, buzz off!"

Before Makoto could protest further, Monokuma ran past him and into the art room. Makoto followed, but when he did get into the art room, Monokuma had already disappeared. It was frustrating. How did he do that? How can he just disappear out of nowhere? It didn't make any sense!

Makoto sighed. It was a wonder he was surprised by anything anymore. The amount of weird things that have happened in this academy should have normalized him to this type of strangeness, and yet, he was still shocked when it happened. It was probably the photo he was still shocked about. For one thing, why were they all in the school with the windows opened? As far as he knew, they were never in this school before the metal sheets covered the windows and the giant vault door was put in place of a regular door. What's more, how was Celeste, someone who was dead, in that photo? It didn't make any sense! None of it did! He had to tell everyone about it. Maybe one of them could make sense of this. Probably Kyoko, now that he thought about it. But then, she did seem pretty shaken up after speaking to Alter Ego...

Makoto concluded that he should tell everyone about his discovery during the meeting they would most definitely have. He went down to the cafeteria, and waited. He waited for about an hour before people started arriving, the first of which being Taka and Mondo (But strangely, not Chihiro.). Taka pulled Makoto aside before any other could arrive.

"Makoto, I don't believe I saw Toko, Jon, or Kyoko during the exploration of the third floor! Would you do the honor of rounding them up before the meeting is in session?"

Makoto saw no reason to refuse. Besides, he's been meaning to check up on everyone Taka listed anyway. Toko because Makoto hadn't seen her since she went to her room the previous night, Jon because Makoto wanted to see how things with Mondo and Sakura went, and Kyoko because... well... Makoto wanted to make sure she was ok. She had really shocked him with her brief show of emotion when she spoke with Alter Ego. He just wanted to make sure she was ok was all.

The first person he found was Toko. It was pretty easy to find her, as she was in the first place he looked: her room. Makoto rang her doorbell, and it took her a few seconds to open up. She looked like she had been crying, which Makoto could understand. It wasn't too long ago that Makoto would have looked for her in the library instead of here.

"W-what?" she asked.

"Um, we're going to have a meeting in the cafeteria, could you be there?"

Toko just stared back at him for several seconds, and then nodded her head.

"Ok, good!" Makoto said happily. Toko still looked at him suspiciously. Then, she opened her door fully.

"I-I'm only going because the h-hall monitor wouldn't leave me alone o-otherwise..." she said, before walking down the hallway.

Makoto then decided to look for Kyoko, which was also somewhat easy. He had suspected she had gone to her room, which she had, but it was what she looked like that surprised him the most.

When Makoto rang her doorbell, it was almost a full minute before she opened the door. When she did, Makoto almost gasped. 

It looked like she had been crying. It looked like she had been crying _a lot._ Her facial expression had stayed the same, the same stoic expression he had grown almost fond of the past two weeks, but her eyes told a different story. They were bloodshot, and her pupils were dilated. Makoto felt terrible just looking at her.

"Yes, Makoto?"

Makoto jumped when she spoke. Her voice even sounded a bit quavery.

"We're, uh, we're going to have a meeting in the cafeteria, I think Taka would feel better if you-"

"Alright," she interrupted. "I'll go."

She just went past him, barely acknowledging his existence. Makoto would be slightly disheartened if she had just done that normally, but he knew better. Obviously, something was going on with her, something that was very emotional for her, if she had been crying. If anything, Makoto felt sympathetic for Kyoko. He should ask what was wrong with her later. For now, he had one last person to look for.

Jon was the hardest to find. The one place Makoto thought to look for him was his room, and he wasn't there. He may have wandered the halls of the first floor for awhile if Jon hadn't come down the staircase at the exact moment Makoto made it their as well.

"Oh, Hi, Makoto."

"Uh, Hi."

Makoto and Jon stood there staring at each other for what felt like an eternity. Then, Makoto finally remembered what his job was, and said:

"Uh, we're having a meeting in the cafeteria and-"

"Taka will be on my ass if I don't show up, won't he?"

"Y-yeah."

"I don't know what I could add, I never explored the third floor."

"I don't know." Makoto confessed. "I guess he really just wants everyone there or something? It's hard to find out why he's so strict like that..."

"I'll go, though. He'll hunt me down if I don't."

"Thanks, I guess?"

"Come on, let's go."

Makoto was a bit taken aback by Jon's almost one-eighty when it came to mood. It almost felt like the first three days all over again. He seemed a bit in the clouds, but other than that, it's almost like he was the same person from back then. Together, they made their way to the cafeteria, where Taka was waiting for them. In fact, as they made their way there, Makoto felt Jon tense up as he heard the voice of the moral compass boom through the halls. Makoto couldn't understand what he was saying, but from the way he was shouting, he was probably angry. When Jon entered the cafeteria before Makoto, it felt like someone had just set a match on an oil patch.

"Jon Uragiri! You did not attend this mornings breakfast meeting! Care to explain why?" Taka waved a hand in Kyoko's and Toko's direction. "Kyoko was there, and Toko has the excuse that she was in mourning! What is yours?"

" _Maricón_ , I had a little trouble getting up this morning." Jon mumbled.

"I cannot continue to let behavior like this slide!" Taka declared. "It's simply unscrupulous!"

"Lay off 'im, bro." Mondo said. "He's havin' a bit of a bad day today, let him off for awhile, would ya?"

"B-but, Mondo! I can't just-"

"Hey! Remember our talk?" Mondo asked.

"I-I see." Taka grumbled. "So that applies here as well?"

"Uh huh."

"Alright, I will forgo punishment _for now_." Taka stressed. "Besides, we have more important information to take care of!"

"Yeah, I'm sure we do." Jon said, finding a spot next to Mondo. Makoto took a seat in his usual spot next to Kyoko. He could see Kyoko staring at Jon from across the room, and he was going to ask why. However, just as he was about, Taka began the meeting.

"Alright! What have we discovered?"

"The metal sheets are just as sturdy up there as they are down here." Sakura announced. "If not even more so. I am sorry I could not provide better news."

"Don't blame yourself, Sakura!" Hina said. "If you can't get through them, no one can!"

"Indeed! At least we are sure, and not left unknowing! Anything else?"

"Well," Hiro said. "There's a lab, and an art room! I liked the art room."

"No doubt you're a fan of art." Jon said.

"How did you know!? No one knows that!"

"I'm psychic."

"That's my line." Sayaka said, half-jokingly, half-seriously.

"I'm sorry, but it's mine now."

"Focus!" Taka ordered. "We have more to do than idle banter! Has anyone found anything else?"

"I wonder if the mystery girl has discovered anything?" Jon asked, staring in her direction. "She has been giving me the evil eye for the past five minutes after all."

"Maybe it's because you're just so handsome." Leon joked.

"That's almost certainly it, Leon. Why didn't I think of that."

"Uh, I'd like to say something." Makoto interrupted, swaying the conversation away from Kyoko. "I found a picture, I think."

"You don't sound confident." Jon said.

"I know I saw it." Makoto said. "It had Taka, Chihiro, Jon, and Celeste in it."

At hearing Celeste's name, Jon went rigid. A misty look fell on him.

"Really?" he said hollowly. "And where is this picture?"

"I, uh..." Crap, Monokuma took it! What should he do!? "I don't have it anymore, Monokuma took it."

"Excuses." Jon grumbled, and then leaned in his chair, not looking Makoto in the eye.

"I'm afraid without proof, Makoto, we only have your word to take on that! Now, I want to ask again, anyone else have anything else to say?"

The room went quiet. Either no one had found anything, or they weren't sure it would help at all. Finally, Chihiro spoke.

"I-I have something I want show you all."

"What is it, Chihiro?" Taka asked.

"Can everybody follow me?"

Without question, people already started getting up. Makoto did as well, and as he did, he heard Kyoko mutter under her breath, her eyes closed:

"Finally."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so I'm going to pose a question. Should I have longer chapters and fewer updates? Or should I make shorter chapters with more updates? Any way is fine with me, but I want to know what you think I should do.


	23. Digital Advice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with this chapter, this fanfic is now the size of your average novel. WOO!
> 
> And I'm only just halfway through it.

Kyoko head still hurt a little bit, but it was a lot more manageable than it was just an hour ago. That was a good thing, too, considering that the rest of her classmates were heading to the baths. Hopefully, if the mastermind wasn't paying special attention to their antics earlier, Alter Ego would still be there, just like they left it. She also reminded herself that she would have to do something about the microphones in the walls. Again, she didn't know for sure if there were any, but she needed to make precautions just in case. You can never be too careful when your only lead is perhaps the most vulnerable to tampering or erasure.

Once everyone was in the baths, Chihiro went to a nearby locker, and pulled out the laptop that had Alter Ego on it. Kyoko commended Chihiro for having the foresight to at least hide the program. It probably wouldn't do much if the mastermind really had put microphones in the walls, but Chihiro didn't know that, so Kyoko couldn't blame her.

"I'd like to introduce you guys to-" Chihiro began, but a loud, piercing electronic screech resounded though the room. This particularly affected Kyoko, who almost grimaced as the shriek cut through the air, but she was able to hold it in. However, several people, namely, Makoto, Jon, Taka, Hiro, and Hina, covered their ears and tried to block out the horrible screams.

" _Mis malditos oídos!_ " Jon screamed after the shrieking had stopped. "I'm going to become deaf by the age of twenty!"

"I-It's some sort of high-frequency sonic weapon!" Hiro yelled, pointing an accusatory finger at the laptop. "I didn't know you were trying to kill us!"

"Shut up!" Mondo shouted. "It wasn't Chi's fault that happened! Was probably somethin' to do with the laptop! Right, Chi?"

Chihiro was too busy typing up a storm on the laptop to pay attention to anyone. It was probably her typing away on it that stopped the _nightmarish_ screams that had come from it a moment before. Kyoko concluded that Chihiro must have ordered Alter Ego to 'scream' if anyone picked it up. Kyoko would be impressed if it wasn't for the fact that Chihiro must have not told it to _not_ scream if _she_ picked it up. As it stood, Kyoko was not amused, and she could tell from some of the looks of her fellow classmates that they shared in this feeling.

"I-I'm sorry." Chihiro apologized. "I didn't mean for it to happen like that..."

"Do not be too harsh on yourself." Sakura comforted. "Please, show us what you wanted to show us."

"R-right!" Chihiro chirped "Everyone, I'd like for you to meet... Alter Ego!"

The screen was dark. Alter Ego did not appear.

"Hey, is this some kinda joke?" Leon asked.

" _Leon._ " 

"Oh c'mon, Sayaka! It was an honest question!"

"He's right, though." Hina said. "Is... this what you wanted to show us, Chihiro?"

"T-the pedo-bait p-probably just wanted to w-waste our time." Toko muttered.

"N-no! I just need to do something..." Chihiro said.

Kyoko would have probably left if she didn't already know what was on the laptop. Her patience was wearing thin these days, and she couldn't be focused on false leads that led nowhere. However, she was beginning to doubt herself when Alter Ego didn't 'show up'. Luckily, the laptop's screen flashed a bright green, and the disembodied head of Chihiro's creation beamed up at everyone.

"Hi everyone! My name is Alter Ego! A pleasure to meet you!"

The reactions of Kyoko's classmates were numerous. Jon, Makoto, and Mondo showed no signs of surprise, that was to be expected. Everyone else, however, had a look of shock and confusion on their faces. Hiro in particular had his face caught in a silent scream until he found his voice again.

"G-G-Ghost! It's a ghost! Everybody, ru-"

" _Blödmann!_ " Jon said. "Even if it was a ghost, why would it look like Chihiro, who, need I remind you, is standing _right there!_ "

"I dunno, man!" Hiro tried to defend himself poorly. "But I swear that's what a ghost looks like! I should know, I saw one!"

"Are you a cultist, Hiro? Do you speak with the dead? If so, tell Byakuya that he's an imbecile." Jon deadpanned.

"Uh uh! I would _never_ become a part of the occult! Why would you even say that!?"

"I, uh... I don't know what to say about this." Leon said.

"Then don't say anything." Sayaka chided.

"Harsh..."

" _Focus._ " Kyoko interrupted everyone's ramblings. If they weren't going to focus on the important things, than she would force them to. 

"T-thanks." Chihiro said. "I programmed Alter Ego to search this computer for any information about this school, and things like that. I think she's at..." Chihiro typed on the laptop. "... fifty-six percent completion. So, it should be done in at least a couple days."

"Good job, Chi." Mondo whispered.

"Thanks..." Chihiro whispered back.

Kyoko waited for people to ask questions, but surprisingly, only one person asked questions. And it just so happened to be the one person Kyoko would rather not see at that moment.

"Has it found anything out yet?" Jon asked.

"Um, it has, but it's only a notepad- I-I mean, yes! She has found something, if you want to look at it, I'll ask her to bring it up!"

"Please do."

Kyoko didn't like Jon, and Kyoko was pretty sure Jon didn't like her much, either. She really didn't want him poking around in things like this. Who knows? He'd probably try to hide what he sees from everyone, even though it was in plain sight. 

Kyoko sighed. It was unlike her to feel such anger for one person. At this point, it felt almost _personal_ , even though she could not explain why. She didn't know what it was anymore. Was it his lapses into different languages? His blunt personality? Kyoko felt like it was all of these, but something else was there... something that she couldn't quite remember. Damn amnesia.

Jon whistled.

"Alright." he said. "That is more than a notepad file. I'm glad you corrected yourself."

"I-um, Thanks?" Chihiro stammered.

"Don't mention it."

After that, things went by fast. Everyone just left the baths with a new sense of security in that at least some of their questions could very well be answered by Alter Ego, and Kyoko somewhat shared these feelings. She was, however, more realistic than most of her classmates. She understood that Alter Ego was vulnerable. Chihiro understood that too, but she had apparently forgotten that Alter Ego _is_ a computer program, and computer programs don't take instructions like a human does. You needed to specify as best you can with a computer, as it can't think for itself. It can't connect the dots. She hoped Chihiro wouldn't let her fondness for the program cloud her judgement on what it truly is.

Kyoko was so absorbed in her own thoughts that she didn't notice that she was the only one left in the room, minus Makoto. She kept herself from jumping when he spoke abruptly.

"Kyoko, are you alright?" he asked.

"I'm fine, Makoto." she replied.

Makoto gave her a look that told her he didn't believe her in the slightest. She could tell because she had memorized most, if not all, of his facial expressions. In this case, his brow furrowed, and he just stared up at her. She didn't like lying, especially to him, but she did not want pity. Pity was the last thing she needed.

"You can talk to me, you know." he said

"Can I?" she replied. She didn't expect to sound so unfriendly to him. He was, at the very least, trustworthy. She had concluded that a long time ago. So why was she resisting talking to him so much?

"You can. That's what friend's do. They help each other."

Friends, huh? She can't really tell why him saying that felt so familiar. Kyoko had begun formulating a theory in her mind ever since Jon had given her the picture of her and Makoto, sitting together, with their arms around each other. She had a kept it on her person ever since it had been given to her (for safety reasons, obviously.). If what her theory suggested was true, than she may know why Makoto saying that felt so familiar.

"I-I mean, only if you want to, that is." he added awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. 

He was a sheepish one, there was no doubt about. And if she was honest, she kind of liked him more that way. 

"Thank you." she said with a small smile that she couldn't help but show. "Maybe I'll do that later."

"Ok!" Makoto beamed. "See ya later!"

Makoto waved, and then left the baths. She did fully intend on talking to Makoto at another time. It would be rude for her not to, especially after her diverted her attention from the horrid thoughts and jumbled emotions that clouded her thoughts just a few minutes before. For that, Kyoko was thankful.

* * *

Jon was hesitant to ask an AI for advice but he was getting desperate. He knew he couldn't go on with his... betrayal. He knew what he had done was wrong. He had known that for a long time, perhaps, but he only now decided to face it head on. He had to tell someone. He really did. But he couldn't tell anyone in the school, not yet, at least. He just didn't feel ready.

After Chihiro had announced Alter Ego's existence to everyone, they all just wandered around the school for awhile. Jon in particular explored the third floor finally. He had to say he was disappointed. It had nothing that interested him. So, He just spent the rest of the day thinking. It was nice to do that with a clear head, after so long. The voices also hadn't spoke out much since his conversation with Mondo. He had come to the decision to speak with Alter Ego sometime before the night time announcement, and since everyone would probably be in their dorms by that point, he decided to make his move then.

Jon entered the baths, turned around, and looked both ways, checking for anyone who had saw him. He didn't see anyone who had perhaps looked out into the hall or who had followed him, so he turned back around and fully entered the baths.

Jon was initially alarmed that Alter Ego wasn't anywhere to be found, but then he remembered the locker. Sighing in relief, he made his way to the lockers, and opened the one he remembered Chihiro pulled it out of earlier. The laptop was in there, thankfully. It was blank, but that was to be expected. He didn't know why it did that, but he had saw it do the exact same thing earlier that day. Laptops were strange.

He carefully lifted the laptop out of the locker. It was slightly heavier than he was expecting. It looked so light when Chihiro brought it out of the locker earlier. Jon wasn't struggling to pick it up by any means, but it was worrying.

Jon quietly walked to one of the benches, and placed the laptop down on it. The screen was still dark.

"...Hello?' Jon called out experimentally.

Nothing.

"Hello." he said, slightly louder.

He didn't know why the screen was not popping up with Alter Ego's face. It was slightly frustrating-

Jon face-palmed. Chihiro had said earlier that the microphone was broken. How could Jon be so stupid? He tapped a few of the keys on the laptop, and the screen instantly came to life. A familiar green glow emanated from the laptop, and lines of code traveled up and down the screen as opposed to left to right as they had before. A second later, the head of Alter Ego appeared. Jon was still slightly creeped out by Chihiro's choice of avatar for the program.

"Ah! Jon Uragiri! Nice to see you again! How may I help you?"

Jon wondered why Alter Ego didn't screech like it did earlier, but he wasn't unhappy about it. It also occurred to him that he was about to speak to an _object_ about his problems. Images of _Wilson_ flashed through Jon's mind as he typed on the keyboard.

**you said that you give therapy.**

"That is true, yes." Alter Ego said. "But I'm not sure how useful I would be. Like I said, I'm not good with people..." 

How was it possible for an AI to somehow look sad? It was creepy and depressing at the same time. 

**i don't care. you can do it, right/**

"Yes! That is, if you want to. Alright, give me a moment..."

The screen went blank. Jon was still wondering why the question mark key was making a forward slash instead of a question mark when Alter Ego appeared again.

"Alright, all set! Is there anything you want to talk about?"

This was his chance. He probably wouldn't be able to talk about this with anyone else. Not Leon, not Mondo, not even Makoto. At least, not yet. It would only be between him and an artificial intelligence. _That's better than nothing_ , he thought.

**i made a choice that i regret a lot. i'm not sure how everyone else will react when or if i tell them, or if they will they understand why/**

"What were the circumstances of your choice?" Alter Ego asked.

**i effectively betrayed them all to keep my loved one alive.**

It felt good to say it, or type it, after so long. Even if Alter Ego was just an AI, it didn't make the confession any less meaningful. At least, to Jon it didn't.

"I see." Alter Ego said. "From what I have gathered of your classmates. I believe they will understand, as long as you explain it to them why and how you did it. Does that help?"

Jon breathed a sigh of relief. So, that's what Alter Ego predicted? It was hopeful, to say the least. He could explain to them, yes. He actually hadn't given a lot of information to Monokuma, but that didn't make his betrayal any less impactful to him, and he hoped they would understand. He wouldn't blame them if they didn't, though. He knew he wouldn't.

**thank you. i think you've made me come to an important decision.**

Alter Ego smiled. "Ah! Thank you! I've only used this feature with master so far, and I'm happy to know that it worked for you as well! But..."

Alter Ego's smile faltered and was replaced with a blank expression. Why did Chihiro have to give the AI expressions? It was hard to not think of it as a person like that. Maybe that's what she was going for...

"Something else is wrong." Alter Ego said. "Something with you."

"...What?" Jon said aloud. That was unexpected, what else was wrong with him?

**_(THERE ARE MANY THINGS WRONG WITH YOU JONNY BOY SO MANY YOU CAN'T EVEN FUCKING COUNT THEM ALL YOU FUCK UP)_ **

Jon shook his head, trying to will the voices away. They had come back, and he didn't even know why.

"There. That's what I am talking about." Alter Ego said. "Master has said that you have been mumbling to yourself. I noticed it before, but Master made it clearer for me. Something else is bothering you, what is it?"

What was Alter Ego talking about? Nothing was

_(She had black hair, and she would wear contacts to make herself seem more eccentric. You liked her more without it. You liked her outfit, though.)_

wrong with Jon. Aside from the voices, his mind was at peace.

"You can tell me." Alter Ego encouraged him. "I've activated therapy mode for this. Please? Can you tell me what is wrong?"

Nothing was wrong. Why was Alter Ego being so

_(Taeko Yasuhiro mortuus est.)_

insistent? Yes, the voices were annoying, but they couldn't _only_ be in his head? Right?

"This is about something in the past, isn't it?" Alter Ego guessed. "I believe it could be... **CELESTIA LUDENBERG**? Is that correct? Is it something to do with her?"

_(Mukuro mentitus.)_

**nothing is wrong.**

"No, something is!" Alter Ego insisted. "I activated therapy mode in order to help you. Now, please, let me help you!"

_**(MUKURO HELPED YOU TOO AND THEN SHE DESTROYED EVERYTHING YOU HAD BUILT UP)** _

**nothing is wrong.**

"Stop trying to convince me that there isn't! It's not going to work!"

Alter Ego's face had a deep frown. It was still uncanny how much she looked like Chihiro. He's had enough. He wanted to end the conversation there, but how would he appease Alter Ego?

_(Impietas)_

**i'll tell you later, ok/ please stop asking about it.**

"Oh! Wait! I-I'm sorry. I guess I overstepped my boundaries? I'm not usually like that. But! It's ok if you want to talk about it later. I'll be here!"

Alter Ego returned to normal, or what could be classified as normal for an AI. The voices stopped too, which was a relief. He hated it when they flared up. Jon just had one more thing to say to Alter Ego.

**tell no one of our conversation.**

"Oh? Are you sure? I don't like to keep secrets... especially from you guys."

**please/**

"Alright!" Alter Ego said. "What has transpired will be between only me and you! Full confidentiality!"

That's more like it. It was comforting knowing that no one else would find out about this. He certainly didn't want _Kyoko_ to find this. She'd find out about Jon's deal with Monokuma just by reading through the lines, knowing her.

**goodbye.**

"Goodbye, Jon Uragiri!"

With that, the screen went blank. Jon picked it up and placed it in the exact same place he had found it. He then exited the baths quietly, and went to his room.

He never noticed the open door, nor the lavender eyes that spied him leaving the baths.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter chapter than usual, but eh.
> 
> Be prepared for shenanigans next chapter.


	24. Plague

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not much to say about this chapter, really.

"Yeah, no." Leon said. "That thing's a piece of junk, Hiro. They conned you."

"The hell is it even made of?" Jon asked, holding the 'crystal' ball in his hands and flicking it with his index finger. "Have to agree with Leon on this one, Hagakure, this is garbage."

"The guy who sold it to me said that it belonged to a lot of famous people from history! I think it was George Washington... Mahatma Gandhi-"

"Ok, just going to stop you there, Hagakure. George Washington _never_ had a crystal ball." Jon said. "And even if he did, I doubt it would be this... imitation."

"The guy who sold it to me said so!" Hiro tried to defend his viewpoint poorly. "True as truth! Cost me all the money I had, but I know he wouldn't have sold it to me if it wasn't what he said it was! He was a good guy."

"In what universe?" Jon queried.

"Jon, I think ya gotta stop picking on this guy." Mondo said, his feet propped up on a table. 

Hiro turned to Mondo and smiled. "Thank you! At least someone is standing up for-"

"'sides, dude can't handle himself against you. Ya know that." Mondo finished.

"I feel the need to warn you, Hiro, that if that glass ball were to fall and shatter, you would be responsible for cleaning it up!" Taka informed Hiro. 

Makoto had the current conversation in the cafeteria tuned out. He was too busy worrying about something else right now. Particularly Monokuma.

It was the day after Chihiro introduced everyone to Alter Ego, and Monokuma was nowhere to be found. If it was any other time besides now, Makoto would have considered the absence of the homicidal bear a blessing, but right now, it was concerning. He had expected Monokuma to at least pop out when they left the baths, but the bear hadn't appeared then, nor had it appeared anywhere. Makoto was worrying, just like he always was. Worried for Toko who hadn't even bothered to show up today. Worried about Monokuma's absence. Worried about everything.

He didn't know why, but ever since he had woken up that day, he had been having a bad feeling in his stomach. It almost felt like he was coming down with a fever, but he didn't feel particularly warm, and he had no other symptoms. It had to be nerves. That's all he could think of. Nervous from Monokuma's not being here. 

"Are you feeling alright, Makoto?" asked a calm voice next to him. 

He jumped, but only slightly. He had almost forgotten Kyoko was next to him. She was so quiet most of the time, if it wasn't for her hair, she could probably blend into the crowd rather well. 

"I'm fine." he said. "I'm just a bit..." he paused, looking for the right words to express this feeling. Kyoko beat him to it.

"You're nervous, frightened." she said. "I understand."

"Huh?"

"You have a gut feeling." Kyoko explained. "It's not unheard of for a human to have odd premonitions of the future. We don't know what is going to happen, but you get this feeling in your stomach, that _something_ is going to happen. You're not the only one who feels it."

Makoto didn't know whether she was referring to him having a gut feeling _now_ , and the fact that she had one too, or if she was saying he wasn't the only one who got them. Either way, what she said didn't comfort him in the slightest, despite the good intentions Kyoko must have had. In fact, they were worse than ever.

"Hagakure, you're hopeless." Jon said, leaning in his chair. "How often are your predictions right again? Twenty? Twenty-five percent?"

"At least One-hundred percent, thirty percent of the time!" Hiro said proudly. "If you want, I could make one right now!"

"Pfft." Leon tried to contain a laugh. "Heh, yeah, and how much is this gonna cost us, old man?"

"Hey hey, Leon, let's humor him." Jon said, handing Hiro the 'crystal' ball. "Alright, Clairvoyant. Give me a prediction."

"I'll do it free of charge, just this once." Hiro said. "Alright, let me just..."

Hiro grabbed his 'crystal' ball from Jon's hand, and hovered his other hand above it for a few seconds. He began murmuring things Makoto couldn't understand.

"I see... A _very_ pale girl... red eyes... black clothes... she's crying... about... what?"

"That's, uh... a bit specific, right?" Leon asked to no one in particular. The others who had been involved in the conversation so far had their eyes firmly on Hiro, waiting for what he would say next. Even Makoto found himself listening intently.

"Wait... there's another girl... short black hair, blue eyes... she's carrying a gun. And... and..."

No one had noticed but Hiro's eyes were closed, and before he could finish his sentence, they opened suddenly.

"Woah, that was crazy." he said. "I've never felt _that_ way before."

"...Was that a prediction?" Jon asked. He was sitting up now.

"You know what." Hiro said. "I don't even know, man. That was really weird."

"This guy." Leon said, trying to break the tension. "can't even tell you if it's a prediction or not. Can you believe this guy, Sayaka?"

Sayaka completely ignored Leon. She was looking out of the window, admiring the few trees that dotted the small patch of dirt on the outside.

"She ain't even listenin' to ya, man. Should just give up while ya can." Mondo said.

"I've never given up." Leon replied. "Besides, you haven't given up on Chihiro, have you?"

"Now what's that supposed to mean!?" Mondo took his feet down from the table and sat upright. 

"N-now hold on a sec..." 

"I'm going to do something." Jon said suddenly. "I'll be right back."

"Y-yeah, sure. Now, Mondo, what I meant to say was-"

"Oh, I heard everything. You tryin' to _insinuate_ somethin', redhead?"

Makoto tuned out of the conversation again. Mondo and Leon were probably going to be fine (hopefully). Instead, he looked down at his cereal that he never touched, trying to look for patterns in the floating oats. He heard the door to the cafeteria open, then close. Jon left. Makoto briefly wondered where he was going. He didn't wonder for long, because soon after he left, Kyoko got up as well. Makoto looked up from his cereal and at her. Her face was still as stoic as ever, but she was... breathing heavily, and her hands were clenched, like she was ready to punch someone.

"I'll be back as well." she said.

"Kyoko." Makoto said worriedly. "Is something wrong?"

That feeling in his stomach was felt like it was screaming. Something was going to happen. He just knew it.

"I'm just going for a walk." Kyoko briefly glanced at him. "I'll be back soon."

Makoto still felt that feeling in his stomach, but it was briefly assuaged when she looked at him. There was a sureness in her gaze that he could grasp onto. He trusted her. He was worrying too much, obviously. Nothing could go wrong when Kyoko was around. She was the one who had saved him, after all. The stitches in his stomach could prove that.

Makoto nodded. Kyoko made her way to the cafeteria doors quickly, and left.

He was worrying too much, that's all.

* * *

Kyoko didn't know why she was so worked up over Jon leaving. Truthfully, she had been trying her hardest to keep her emotions under control since last night, when she saw Jon leave the baths. She hadn't told anyone she would keep watch for Alter Ego, and make sure that the program would not be tampered with. She didn't see Jon enter, but she saw Jon leave, and just that was enough to throw her off. Her mind filled with such raw emotion so quickly she had to keep from yelping as they took hold. Among these emotions were Anger, sadness, guilt... and betrayal. That was the biggest one, betrayal.

She didn't go after Jon that night because of her turbulent emotions, but this was going to be different, she was sure of it. Kyoko's mind was made up: Jon had been keeping a secret.

She didn't know how long he had been keeping this secret, but she was sure it had something to do with Monokuma, and perhaps even further than that. He may have had a hand in their imprisonment altogether... Ok, well, she didn't _know_ that. But she knew her gut was rarely wrong (even if she didn't know how she knew that.). So, she had been tailing Jon ever since he had left the cafeteria. 

She had been waiting, and now was the time. Images of the last time she confronted Jon alone flashed through her mind. Being pushed up against a wall, nearly punched square in the face... Jon was clearly no gentleman. It looked like he was on his way to the gym, and Kyoko followed him.

That was, until a familiar bear got in her way.

"Missy, should I report you for stalking?" the bear said, the voice emanating from somewhere behind her. She ignored it, and continued forward. Jon was heading to the gym, she was sure of it now, and she was going to follow him, all the way there.

Then the bear got in her way. It's familiar lightning red eye glowing, it's grin seemed more sinister than before.

"Alright mystery girl, what's the big idea!?" it said, waving it's arms in the air angrily.

"I have no idea what you are talking about." she replied, trying to get past Monokuma, but it blocked her every time.

"I don't appreciate stalkers, especially one's who do it in broad daylight! Tsk tsk tsk..." 

Kyoko felt like she wasn't going to get past Monokuma. She couldn't risk hitting the bear or pushing it out of the way, she didn't know how far the 'don't attack the headmaster' rule went, and she didn't feel like finding out. Besides, she was patient. Jon would get his soon enough.

Kyoko turned around to leave, consenting defeat to the bear, but before she could even take a single step, Monokuma was on top of her. She heard it's voice, very close to her ear. It was gruff and gravelly, nothing like the flamboyant one she was used to.

"Going so soon?" it chuckled. "I have to punish you for being a stalker. And I know the most _despair_ inducing way to do it, too."

Before Kyoko could react, she felt a stinging pain in the side of her neck. She recoiled, and Monokuma jumped away from her before she could topple on to him.

"I'm sure you'll find this _motive_ to be the most despair inducing yet..." it said ominously. "And now, I have to talk to my informant! See ya later!"

The bear waddled in the direction of the gym, and Kyoko felt powerless to stop it. You can't see very well when your vision is clouded by tears.

* * *

Jon made a mistake. He recognized that now. He was going to fix it.

He had no idea when he had decided to socialize with everyone instead of ending his 'partnership' with Monokuma, but he wouldn't be distracted now. No, this was too important to be put off anymore than it already has. He has to end this. Now.

_**(BETRAYAL IS IN YOUR NAME FOR GOD'S SAKE THEY SHOULD HAVE FIGURED IT OUT BY NOW)** _

The voices had come back since Hiro made his... 'prediction'. That's what had knocked him out of his complacency. He was almost to the gym now. If everything went well, he'd walk out unscathed. He knew better though. He wouldn't leave that gym unmarked. He knew it.

_(Your comrade came up with the idea: keep a roster on those who were still in the school when the malefaction - the tragedy - struck.)_

The voices had somehow become less pronounced the more he focused on his new objective. They had never been as violent or volatile since just after the second trial, but they were always still there. Now, though, now they almost seemed to be fading away. Jon wouldn't miss them if they disappeared entirely.

Jon burst into the gym, with one hand in his pocket, ready to pull out his pistol if needed. The gym was eerily dark. It almost resembled something for a nightmare as the light from the hallway outside shone through. Jon's shadow almost seemed to do a strange dance as he took several steps into the quiet and abandoned gymnasium.

_(The tragedy left many places looking like this - abandoned, sad, lonely.)_

The voices felt like only a whisper in Jon's mind. His heart was beating like a jackhammer in his chest as he prepared himself for what he was about to do. Steeling himself, he breathed in, and shouted:

" **MONOKUMA!** "

Nothing. The echo of his shout reverberated throughout the room until it sounded like the roar of a monster. Jon's throat felt tingly afterward, but since he didn't see Monokuma appear, he prepared himself again. Once more, he breathed in, harder this time, and shouted:

" ** _MONOKUMA!_** "

_(Mukuro Ikusaba mortuus est. Hifumi Yamada mortuus est. Byakuya Togami mortuus est.)_

" _Show yourself, coward!_ " Jon yelled in English. He had no idea if the bear could even understand it, but he felt like it at least sounded more threatening if he said it in English. Sighing in defeat, he breathed in one more time, and yelled:

" **MONOKUM-** "

"Quit screaming, badass! You'll wake the dead if ya keep doing that!"

Monokuma had arrived. A lone stage light lit the podium the Half-and-Half bear now stood on. it leaned on it like someone who was about to pull out a cigarette and start smoking.

"Get down here, bear." Jon said in the most threatening voice he could manage. It wasn't exactly hard to do, especially with the way his throat felt like it was being torn out.

"Ooooooh, the badass wants to talk with _me_ for a change! Ah, but I haven't forgotten our little agreement, informant. I guess I could call you a _badass informant!_ ...Nah, that's too much, I think I'll stick with badass for now!"

Monokuma leaped off the podium. It was amazing how far he went, because when he landed, he was only around ten feet away from Jon.

"Why do you call me that?"

"Why do I call you what, badass?"

"Don't toy with me, bear. Why do you call me badass?"

Monokuma giggled. "I thought it was obvious! You _are_ a badass, ain't ya? A bear never gives a nickname without a reason. I should know, I am one!"

As Monokuma cackled, Jon began to sidestep the bear, and as he did so, the bear did too. It almost looked like an old western stand-off.

"Whatever," Jon said. "I've come to-"

"Oh. _Oh._ I'm sure you've come to do a lot of things, badass, but I have something to tell you, too."

Monokuma put a paw/hand behind his back.

"In fact, I've come to tell you your next motive!"

Jon groaned. He didn't care about motives, he had come here to do something important! But nonetheless, he supposed he should listen to what the _Ours baise_ has to say. He could tell his friends about it once he got back.

"But, before I do that, let's switch our roles for a sec! I'll be the informant, and you'll be the mastermind! Ready? One..."

Jon had no idea what the bear was talking about. First of the many questions that popped in his head were why? Why would he do this? Jon had come to cut ties with Monokuma, not play games.

"...two..."

Jon had enough. If the bear wasn't going to listen to reason, maybe he'd just have to force this relationship to a close. He grabbed the pistol in his pocket and prepared to pull it out.

"...three! Did you know, there's an eighteenth student running around in this school?"

_(Carolus.)_

Jon didn't see it coming. One minute, he had his hand around his gun, the next, he was using his hands to the best of his abilities to ease the intense pain in his head that came out of nowhere.

_**(SHE HAS THE SERUM LOOK OUT LOOK OUT IN JUST FIVE SECONDS A LIFETIME OF MEMORIES IS PULLED AWAY)** _

_(The serum, yes of course. You'd better run, Jonny dearest.)_

_(Junko Enoshima vivit.)_

Jon tried his best to keep the voices at bay. However, in his distracted state, he didn't notice Monokuma get closer to him, with his paw still behind his back like he had just stolen out of a cookie jar and was desperately trying to hide it.

"Since we decided to switch our roles a bit, I've decided that _you_ should tell me what it is!" The Monochrome bear cackled. "Trust me, this is going to _hurt_."

Monokuma took his paw out from behind his back. Jon could see clearly what Monokuma was trying to hide. It was a syringe filled with a cloudy liquid.

" _Get that away from me!_ " Jon yelled in the loudest voice he could with his sore throat.

Before he could move, or do anything, the bear lunged. Jon tried to move out of the way at the last second, but he couldn't dodge it. The syringe planted itself into his calf, and Monokuma pressed on it, injecting the liquid into Jon's bloodstream.

"Puhuhuhu! This is going to get interesting! Very interesting! I'll wait for your 'friends' to find you here! It will save me the trouble of using the announcements! See ya later!"

Jon tried to punch the bear, do anything, but he missed, and he tumbled onto the hard gymnasium floor. When he looked up, the bear was gone.

" _Verdammt!_ " Jon cursed. He tried to get to his feet, but he just ended up falling back down again.

Whatever Monokuma injected into Jon, it felt like it was _burning._ Like the bear just poured liquid fire into Jon's veins. He could feel the liquid travel from each and every point. When it reached the area of his stomach, he vomited. A yellow-green bile filled the ground below him, but he didn't pay attention to that.

The liquid fire spread to his chest, and he felt himself hyper ventilate, and he felt like it wasn't because he was panicking that it was happening. He retched one more time before the serum made it's way to his head. His body-

Body.

_Bodies._

_So many bodies._

**THERE WERE SO MANY GODDAMN BODIES JON YOU DON'T DON'T EVEN KNOW YOU AND MUKURO WALKED SIDE BY SIDE AND IT MEANT NOTHING CELESTIA LUDENBERG IS DEAD DEADER THAN A DOORNOB YOU'RE NOTHING BUT A BALD-FACED LIAR YOU FUCK UP SHUT SHUT SHUT UP UP UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP**

_Mukuro is gone. Yes, Mukuro is gone. Not by your hand, no, sadly, but gone nonetheless. The gambler is too. You'll miss her the most, you feel. You shared something, the two of you, something that can't be regained, something precious. 'Twas a long time ago, now, but if you remembered, you'd smile. It was a fond memory._

_Mukuro ikusaba mortuus est. Taeko Yasuhiro mortuus est. Hifumi Yamada mortuus est. Byakuya Togami mortuus est. Makoto Naegi vivit. Kyoko Kirigiri vivit. Toko Fukawa vivit. Junko Enoshima vivit. Leon Kuwata vivit. Sayaka Maizono vivit. Aoi Asahina vivit. Mondo Owada vivit. Kiyotaka Ishimaru vivit. Chihiro Fujisaki vivit. Sakura Ogami vivit. Yasuhiro Hagakure vivit. Jon Uragiri infirmatur._

\--------------------------

\----------------------

\----------------

**JON URAGIRI IS DEAD.**

**I HAVE RETURNED.**

**MENDAX EST.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jon's lost it again, hasn't he?


	25. Memories of Despair

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a frustrating chapter, mostly because I had the hardest time writing for no reason. Whatever, it's here now. I hope it's not as bad as I think it is.

**I AM ME AGAIN IT'S TAKEN SO LONG BUT I HAVE FINALLY BROKEN AWAY FROM THE ACCURSED AMNESIAC**

**I.**

**AM.**

**ME.**

_(She had a funny way of say-_

**NO.**

**NO MORE.**

**NO MORE VOICES NO MORE ARGUMENTS NO MORE PROMISES**

**Only.**

**Me.**

_(Makoto Naegi vi-_

**Shut Up. Both of you. I am in control now. I have returned. Full memory restore bitch.**

**I.**

**am.**

**me.**

_(You won't win. Despair always loses. Mukuro lost, do you think you won't be the same?)_

 

**I don't give a damn about Mukuro. She betrayed me. She played me like a puppet.**

**I.**

**have.**

**returned.**

_(you were an unwitting pawn. you didn't know anything. how could you?)_

**I'm going after her sister now. And then I'll take it from there. You two can float away in his subconcious for the rest of his life. For as long as this poison flows through his veins, I'm in control, bitch.**

**I.**

**am.**

**in.**

**control.**

_(y-ou wo-nt wiin-0-oijknnJunko will b-beat u-)_

**Go now, friends, lose yourself in that festering pile of neurons he calls his mind.**

_(u wo-t w-iiiiiuuun, bb-sterd)_

**Yes.**

**I.**

**will.**

* * *

It's all just so despairing, isn't it? All of it. Everything in this cursed school oozes despair like a spigot. It's like a giant black and white parasite that latches on to you and won't let go until it's had it's fill of despair. That was the closest she could come to describing it. And the fact that she couldn't elaborate anymore than that only made her cry more.

She was laying on the floor after vomiting at least two times. The bile filled the floor in front of her like a yellow, horrible smelling ocean. She wasn't staring at that, though, she was staring down the hall. Yes, with her glazed over lavender eyes she gazed down the empty hallway, waiting for that special person to come along.

Makoto Naegi...

 

How could she have forgotten him?

The one ray of hope in this despairing school?

Even the mere thought of his name sent another quivering sob out of her. She couldn't help it. Her emotions were her life now, rather than a liability she desperately tried to hide. It's like they had taken on a life of their own. She couldn't control them, and that both saddened and frustrated her, which clearly showed on her face. She continued to look down the hallway. She really wanted Makoto to come down that hallway, but the part of her that still resisted the sickness that had been injected into her veins thought it was likely that no one would come down that hallway, which only made her cry even harder.

When she did see a faint shadow approach, she only uttered one word. A name.

"Makoto..."

* * *

**Oh, have they arrived? Are they here yet? I hear them! My friends, if only you could see as I do, you'd want to kill her too! If only you had to go through what I had to go through! But no. I had to watch you all lose all of our precious memories.**

**Every.**

**single.**

**one.**

**All gone like water down the drawn, forever lost. Unless...**

**Unless.**

**she.**

**intervened.**

**Yes, why else would she give me this serum, this memory restorer? I should call out to my friends. Tell them all about it.**

**No.**

**No.**

**No, they wouldn't understand. I have to kill her. The Fashionista. Junko. I'll force her out. Draw her in. Separate her head from her neck and then shove it up her ass!**

**HA HA HA HA**

_(Would she approve of your thoughts right now?)_

**You.**

**Are.**

**Dead.**

_(Obviously not, or I wouldn't be here.)_

**I forgot how much of a smartass I was. Who's she? Junko? She would definitely approve of my thoughts right now. They would turn her on. She'd start rubbing her clit in gl-** '

_(No, not her.)_

**Then who? I could just push you back you know, just like I did a moment ago. Although you've seemed to stop with that "You" bullshit. What do you have to say, dipshit?**

_(Would Taeko Yasuhiro approve of your behavior?)_

**NEVER SAY THAT GODDAMN NAME AGAIN YOU PAST-FACING SONUVABITCH I'LL ATTACH YOUR MOUTH TO YOUR ASSHOLE AND CALL YOU A HUMAN DONUT**

* * *

Ok, now Makoto was _very_ worried. He knew something was wrong. He _knew_ it.

"Guys... I think something's wrong... how long have they been gone for?" he asked worriedly.

"I dunno." Mondo replied. "They've been gone for about... thirteen? Fourteen minutes? Why? Are you worried or somethin'?"

Yes, Makoto was _very_ worried. He didn't know how, but he knew something was wrong. That feeling in his gut hadn't gone away.

"I'm not one for guessing, but... do you think that Kyoko killed him?" Leon queried.

"No, no she'd never do something like that, I know she wouldn't."

"You have a bad feeling, don't you, Makoto?" Sakura said. "I have it too. Something is wrong here. We need to find them."

Makoto felt only dread as he got up out of his seat. He really hoped Kyoko was ok. Jon too. Why had she gone after him like that? Was it something he did? Makoto didn't deny that was a possibility, but still... to go after him? And alone? He wasn't thinking Jon did something... at least, he hoped not. He really just hoped they were ok. That's what it boiled down to.

"Ya guys are really letting this school get to ya." Mondo said carelessly. "They're fine. Trust me. They've both been gone for longer and we didn't worry then. Why are we worrying now?"

"He has a point." Leon said. "I mean, don't you guys think you're overreacting a little? It's only been a little while. They're fine."

Makoto couldn't explain this feeling he had. Maybe Mondo and Leon were right. Maybe he was overreacting, but what harm was there in trying? It's not like it would kill any of them.

"I'll go too." Chihiro said, getting up. "I've wanted to ask Jon something anyway. Besides, it couldn't hurt to check."

"If Sakura's going, I'm going too!" Hina said.

"Really, guys, thanks." Makoto thanked them bashfully.

Eventually, it was decided that Makoto, Sakura, Hina, and Chihiro would go look for the two missing students. Mondo, Taka, Leon, Hiro, and Sayaka stayed in the cafeteria in case they came back. Toko hadn't shown up that morning, but Taka confirmed that she was still in her room. Makoto's group made their way in the direction that they thought Kyoko and Jon might have went, which was towards the gym.

At first, they heard sobbing. Then, they saw a figure laying on the ground. In the distance, they heard laughter.

* * *

**YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO SAY THAT NAME ANYWHERE YOU FUCKHEAD**

_(You know she wouldn't approve. Behind that cold and calculating exterior persona was a caring, if somewhat anti-social girl. She cared about everyone, and you did too.)_

**WELL GUESS WHAT SHE'S DEAD NOW DEADER THAN A DOOR KNOB MATE LAST TIME I CHECKED I'M GOING TO LEVEL THIS PLACE IF YOU KEEP TALKING DO YOU HEAR ME I WILL FUCKING DESTROY THIS PLACE AND EVERYONE IN IT DO YOU WANT THAT BITCH DO YOU WANT THAT**

...

...

 

**That's what I thought.**

**Oh, wait a moment... I can hear them still! They must have found Kyoko, the pale kiddy detective with daddy issues. I know...**

**Let's fuck with them a little...**

**Just a bit...**

**Lying only brings despair.**

* * *

Makoto saw her first. The silver hair was a giveaway from pretty far away. However, he still almost didn't recognize her. It was her face, the way it was contorted into the saddest expression that he had ever seen from her, that he didn't recognize her at first. He could hear small sobs echo through out the hall. the four of them just stood there, shocked by what they saw. That was, until Makoto heard her utter his name.

"Makoto..."

That broke him out of his trance, at least. He immediately rushed towards her, and knelt by her side. However, before he could do anything, like ask her what had happened or help her up, she quickly wrapped him in an embrace and dragged him to the floor. As Makoto tried to squirm out of her grip, he realized that she was full on sobbing now.

"U-um, what's going on?" Chihiro asked.

"I knew it..." Hina whispered to herself.

Makoto stopped struggling, mostly because it seemed Kyoko wouldn't let go of him anytime soon. He started again when he noticed the foul-smelling liquid nearby.

"K-kyoko!? C-can we please get up?" Makoto stammered, trying to lift him and Kyoko off the ground. He fell back down, he wasn't strong enough. Kyoko continued to sob into his chest, occasionally sobbing a word out like 'Despair', or 'Betrayal', but mostly, she just repeated his name. Makoto sighed, and shifted so he could move his arm out of Kyoko's embrace, and held his hand to Sakura, who had been standing there watching the whole scene play out. She took his hand, and lifted both Makoto and Kyoko off the ground without much effort.

Once they were off the ground, Kyoko continued to hold on to Makoto, although now it was because she could barely stand. Makoto noticed this, and instinctively put an arm around her to steady her more effectively. He felt his cheeks warm as he did so. Sakura stood in front of them, and she asked:

"Are you alright, Kyoko?"

Kyoko shook her head, and tried to speak, but all that came out was a strangled cry. Sakura calmly put a hand on her shoulder.

"Can you tell us where Jon is?"

At this, Kyoko's face darkened into a scowl, and she shakily pointed in the direction of the gym. 

"Ok, we should make sure he is ok. He could be in trouble."

"N-no..." Kyoko tried to speak. "D-don't try to help t-that... m-monster..."

"Kyoko?" Makoto called out surprised. 

Kyoko didn't even bother to look into his eyes, she simply buried her face in his chest again. Makoto sighed.

"Let's go. We have to make sure he's alright."

"Uh, shouldn't we make sure Kyoko is alright?" Chihiro pointed out. "I-I mean, she doesn't look very steady on her feet right now..."

"I think I got her..." Makoto said, successfully walking a couple of steps while Kyoko hung on to him. 

"You go, Makoto!" Hina cheered.

Makoto had no idea what Hina was cheering about. The group of five then made their way to the gym.

* * *

**My memories are here. I am his memories. Memories of a time he has forgotten. A time that they have already experienced, and yet they don't know exist. I will not remind them. If they cannot remember me, why should I remember them? They could all betray me. Just like I betrayed them. Just like how Mukuro and Shinrai betrayed me. Chose her sister over her friends. Bullshit, all of it. Who needs bonds of love when all they cause is heartbreak and animosity!?**

_(You are rambling.)_

**No shit Sherlock, I'm so fucking bored! I've heard them out there for the past five centuries and they haven't entered yet! Do they care so much for that DWDI that they completely forgot about me?**

_(Firstly, it's been three minutes, secondly, you don't even make any sense.)_

**If only they were there with me... they'd understand. They'd understand why I have to kill Junko, why they are here. But no. Junko is all I need to focus on now. If they get in my way...**

**So.**

**Be.**

**It.**

* * *

The five of them entered the gym, slowly. It was quite dark, and Makoto could only see the faint outlines of everything within. He could see the podium, he could see the corners of the gym, but little else. They explored the gym as best as they could in the darkness. Sakura went to find a light switch, and Hina followed her in the direction Sakura chose, leaving Makoto, Chihiro, and Kyoko in the middle of the gym.

Kyoko still clung to Makoto, perhaps even closer than before they entered the gym. Her sobs had grown silent, though. As Makoto explored the seemingly empty gym, quietly, Makoto could hear Kyoko mumble to herself.

"He's here... h-he's here... he'll kill us all... j-just like... j-j-just l-like..."

Makoto traced his fingers across her back in an attempt to calm her down. It worked a little bit.

Makoto looked around to see Chihiro walking around somewhat close to him. She was shivering, but not as bad as Kyoko.

"Do you t-think he's here?" Chihiro asked.

Makoto nodded. "Kyoko followed him, and she probably saw him enter. Even if he's not here, I'm sure we'll find a clue about where he went."

Chihiro nodded back, and continued forward into the gym.

"There doesn't appear to be a light switch." Sakura said from somewhere in the gym. "I'm sorry, it looks like we will have to either find him in this darkness, or look elsewhere."

" **There's no reason to do that Sakura, my friend, I'm right here.** "

* * *

As soon as she heard his voice, her heart felt like it would pop out her chest. It was _him_. The Murderer. He's here. She had to get away! He'd kill them all, kill them all with his partner and that sidearm of his!

She tried to get Makoto to leave, she tugged and pulled on his arm, but he appeared to be adamant on staying in this deathtrap. Didn't he understand!? He would kill them all! Just like he killed-

At the mere thought of his name, fresh tears slipped down her face and on to the floor. _No one deserved the way he had died. Not even him._

" **What's wrong, Kyoko? My old friend?** " The voice of the murderer laughed. " **I thought we were on good terms again!** "

He was mocking her. Mocking the fact that her classmates didn't understand, didn't _remember._ It was heartbreaking.

She needed to get out of this gym. He'd appear any minute now and snuff out their lives with a quick shot from his gun. 

She saw him now, in the dark. Yes, he was there, with them. His eyes almost seemed to glow a disgusting shade of dark green, a hideous and jagged grin stretched from ear to ear. He was staring at her, a mixture of hatred, sadness, and despair was all she saw. It terrified her. She needed to get away. _Now._

She released her grip from Makoto, who questioned her, confused. She ignored it. She needed to warn the others, save everyone here from the threat they couldn't see. She darted towards the door, but slipped on something. She crashed to the floor in a heap. Mercifully, it appeared she was passing out. Still, the last thing she heard was the murderer's voice echoing throughout the gym.

" ** _Nahahahahahahaha!_ Look at the independent and courageous Kyoko Kirigiri! Reduced to a sniveling mess at the mere sight of me! Chihiro has more bravery than you do, and he's worn a fucking skirt for half his life, for Christ's sake!** "

* * *

Makoto had no idea what was going on. Kyoko had just tried to run towards the entrance to the gym, but she slipped on some... what looked like liquid on the floor and passed out. She had been mumbling something strange underneath her breath that Makoto couldn't understand. Sakura was walking towards where Makoto and Chihiro stood.

"Jon? Is that you? You sound strange. And... may I ask why you called Chihiro a 'he'?" Sakura called out into the darkness. Chihiro's eyes were wide, and her face was deathly pale. 

"You don't just forget the gender of your friends, or is that only a thing you do with women?" Hina tried to Joke, but only one person laughed in response.

" **Nahaha, no. I also don't forget the sexuality of my old friends, lesbian.** "

Hina gasped. "W-what are you talking about?"

Makoto squinted into the darkness, trying to find anything that resembled a human silhouette. He saw an outline near the podium towards the front of the gym. After making sure Kyoko was ok, he walked towards it.

"Um, Jon? Are you ok?" Makoto asked tentatively.

At this, another guffaw echoed across the gym, and Makoto soon got a response.

" **I've never felt better, Hope boy.** "

Makoto could tell just from his voice that he was not ok. Now that he closer, he could hear it better. It sounded... odd, and he had an even thicker accent than before. It was actually disturbing how _corrupted_ his voice sounded.

" **After all, I know who the mastermind is.** " 'Jon' said.

"Do you?" Sakura questioned. It seemed she also caught on that something was _obviously_ wrong with Jon. "Who is it?"

'Jon' walked in their direction. He got close enough to where the light coming in from the hallway from the open door to gym shone on him just barely. Only his eyes were clearly visible. To Makoto, they looked like snake eyes.

" **It's him.** " the figure pointed in Makoto's direction. " **He's the one who's trapped us all in here. Don't believe me?** "

Makoto mouth gaped. What was going on? What the heck is Jon talking about? Makoto looked in Sakura's direction to see that she was shaking her head. Hina still looked shocked by Jon's comment earlier, and Chihiro stared at Jon with a mixture of horror and disgust.

" **Oh? Don't you trust me, my friends? Or do you think I'm _lying_ to you? Well, that's not all I know. I also know that Kenshiro is dead.** "

" _Lies!_ " Sakura shouted. Her expression turning briefly to one of utter fury, before quickly returning to her usual stoic visage. "I don't know how you know about him, but I know you are lying. Monokuma has done something to you, hasn't he?"

Jon giggled. " **Maybe, maybe not. You'll find out, in just a moment.** "

As Jon finished his sentence, an announcement went off across the whole school.

" _EMERGENCY! EMERGENCY! Everyone get to the gym at this very moment! I MEAN IT!_ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dark days are ahead, my friends.


	26. Memories of Hope

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **DISCLAIMER!**
> 
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> Jon says some questionable and downright fucked up things in this chapter. You've been warned.
> 
> (You know it's going to be good when I put a disclaimer for the first time.)

**No.**

**These are not the people I went through hell to save. These are not the people that I betrayed. These are strangers wearing familiar faces! All of them! They remember not one thing about our time together! They really don't deserve to live, do they? I won't go after them if they stay out of my way, but if they do, I won't hesitate.**

_(I won't let you hurt them.)_

**You are really fucking boring, you know that? Like I said, these aren't the people that I went through hell to save. These are strangers. They deserve this hell**

_(I won't let you hurt them.)_

**One trick pony, eh? What do you think, Latin?**

_(Taeko Yasuhiro mortuus est.)_

**MOTHERFUCKER YOU'RE DOING THAT ON PURPOSE I TOLD YOU NEVER SAY THAT GODDAMN NAME AGAIN YOU LIMP-DICKED FUCKBOY**

* * *

It took maybe ten minutes in total for those who were not already in the gym to arrive. During that time, Jon stared at Makoto and everyone else at first with amusement. It was almost as if he was enjoying seeing everyone in such a uncomfortable and distrustful mood. Makoto noticed him glancing at Kyoko every once in a while. Makoto had already tired to pick her up to the best of his abilities, but he just couldn't do it. Luckily, Sakura was able to lift her off the ground easily enough. Jon's amusement, however, would occasionally seem to dip into bitter contempt. His disturbingly snake-like eyes would narrow dangerously, and a small grimace would appear on his face. These went away quickly, however, and he would punctuate this with a small giggle or a sigh. All in all, it was disturbing for Makoto to be in the same room as him. He couldn't imagine what it was like for everyone else, especially Kyoko. Makoto was somewhat glad she hadn't woken up yet.

The first people to arrive in the gym were both Taka and Mondo. They didn't notice Jon was there until he spoke to them directly.

" **Well, if it isn't everyone's favorite closet homosexuals. Have you fucked each other in the ass yet? I bet you have. I wonder if Monokuma would share those videos... I'm sure _someone_ would want to see it!** "

"The _fuck_ did he just say!?" Mondo seethed. Sakura approached them and explained their situation.

"Wait, what do you mean he's 'different'?" Taka questioned.

"I do not quite understand myself." Sakura said. "I know Monokuma is involved somehow. He must have done something. Please, do not let your anger get the best of you, Owada. I doubt Jon can control himself at the moment."

" **I can control myself just fine. It's you I'm worried about. You have _obviously_ taken so many steroids you're turning into a man.** "

"God, can you just _shut up!?_ " Hina said. "You're so annoying!"

" **You will die alone.** "

"It appears Jon has indeed been compromised! But what of Kyoko? Why are you holding her?" Taka asked. "Did she-"

Sakura nodded. "You did not see it, but she was frightened; crying a lot. I fear Monokuma has gotten to her too."

"Ah hell." Mondo sighed. "And I thought we could get past this shit. And then Monokuma throws shit like this! Where the hell is that bear!?"

"W-we haven't heard anything since the announcement..." Chihiro stuttered. 

Just then, Jon began singing loudly, for no particular reason. 

" _ **Saa Eins Zwei Drei! Kasanariau! Saa Eins Zwei Drei! Shi wo kawashite!**_ " he laughed. It sounded like a hyena's laugh. " **I love that theme, you know. You can _feel_ the emotions coursing through you! Pumps you up! So, How've you been doing, you cross-dressing _faggot?_** " Jon then turned in Chihiro's direction, although Makoto didn't know why. Cross-dressing? What was he on about?

"W-w-w-what? How do you-" Chihiro began, but another guffaw from Jon interrupted.

" **You'd be surprised by what I know, small one. Did I ever tell you about the the 76th class's Exams? They were a _Blow-out._ 'Splosions, bitch. All around! _Nahahahahahahaha!_ ** "

"W-w-what are you e-even talking ab-" Chirhiro never finished her sentence, because Jon ran in her direction. He was so fast Makoto could barely see him move at all. One moment, he was still in the darkness that enshrouded the gym, the next, he was staring down at Chihiro, his eyes boring into hers. Chihiro raised her arms above her head, as if Jon was about to drop something on her.

" **Don't ruin my moment! _Don't ruin my moment, you cross-dressing fuck boy!_ Tsk tsk tsk... what are we going to do with you, Mistah Fujisaki?** "

"Ok, that's it! I don't care what happened to you, no one talks to Chi like that!" Mondo cracked his knuckles, and approached Jon, but Makoto put himself between them. He knew why Mondo was angry. He had every right to be, but Makoto knew that if he lost his temper, things would just get worse.

"W-wait!" He pleaded. "We don't know what's going on! Let's just calm down and-"

"You tellin' me what to do!?"

" **History is repeating itself. You really haven't learned from the past, have you? I had to stop you last time, if I remember correctly.** "

"Ok, fine! I'll just try my best to ignore ya. I thought you were a decent guy, and then this happened! _Damnit!_ " Mondo walked off to where Taka and Chihiro was standing, and crossed his arms. After that, Makoto turned around. Instead of the malicious grin he had seen on Jon since he had shown himself, he saw only a blank facial expression. Even his eyes seemed to be glazed over. A few seconds later, however, and he was back to the way he was before.

" **That's right. _Run away._ Coward.** "

Mondo tried his best to ignore Jon's comments.

Leon, Sayaka, and Hiro entered. Again, they didn't seem to notice Jon until he addressed them directly. And when he did, his voice seemed deeper somehow, especially when he talked to Sayaka. It sent shivers down Makoto's spine.

" **Oh, it's the pop-idol with athazagoraphobia, the womanizer, and the pseudo-cultist! Where've you been, my friends? Having a threesome in the cafeteria? Or perhaps you were going to kill each other? I bet Leon'd kill Sayaka. I can see it now... a shower, a knife, and numbers! Careful with that jaw of yours, Leon. If you're not careful, the roaches will stick their dicks into your gaping mouth.** "

Leon's mouth, as Jon... said, was open so wide it made an 'O'. Sayaka seemed completely unfazed. Hiro just looked completely confused on what was going on. Sakura explained what she had explained to Mondo and Taka. Leon seemed to calm down a bit, but he was sweating profusely and staring in Jon's direction suspiciously.

"So, Monokuma did something to them?" Sayaka said. "Eh, he doesn't seem so different than before."

" _What!?_ " Leon said. "He was _never_ like this! Little... inappropriate, yeah, but he wasn't some creep!"

" **Says the man who keeps rejecting his extremely attractive cousin in favor of a washed-up pop idol.** "

"And at least he knew when to shut up... well, mostly."

" **Too bad she's dead now.** "

At this, Leon's face went completely blank. 

"W-what?" he stammered. "N-no, you're lying! That has to be a joke! Tell me it's a joke, right!? Pfft, hahahaha! That was _very_ funny, Jon. It's a good thing I know this is an act, or else I'd knock out all your teeth!" A nervous and fragile smile appeared on Leon's face. 

"Don't worry." Sayaka said. "It's obvious something's wrong with him. I mean, do you _hear_ the stuff he's saying?"

Jon instantly glared in Sayaka's direction. Somehow, his gaze seemed more hate-filled than before.

" **Satobi Aoba and Ayaka Haneyama are dead. _Dead and gone, dead and gone..._ Like dust in the wind!** "

"..." Sayaka said nothing. She simply stared at Jon with a blank expression.

" **The way they died was absolutely fucking _brutal_ too. I mean, first they had their maidenheads taken away from them. And then they had to stand in front of this big concert, where this giant bear trap decapitated them in front of a thousand adoring fans! He he... I'm pretty sure they had a hard time cleaning up after that. Blood doesn't come out easily. Than again, I think it happened on a ha-** "

" _You're a fucking liar!_ " Sayaka screeched. " _How can someone even say that!? I don't believe you! There's no way they're dead!_ "

" **Dead as doorknobs, sweetheart, dead as doorknobs. I think they even let loose the fans onto the stage, and they did some... You know, Sayaka, I don't think you realized how many necrophiliacs were in your fanbase. There was practically noth-** "

" _Shut up! Shut up, shut up, shut up!_ " she charged furiously in Jon's direction, but Leon stopped her by holding her back. She kicked and screamed.

"Sayaka, calm down! He's trying to get you mad! Stop!" Leon said to the raging girl. "Please!"

" I don't care! I'll fucking-" She never finished her sentence, because Jon spoke above her. Instead of speaking to Sayaka, though, he spoke to the empty podium.

" **Have you climaxed yet?** "

Makoto was so confused and disturbed at what was happening around him he didn't even question why Jon was supposedly talking to an inanimate object. It didn't help that whatever Monokuma did to Jon seemed to have turned him sadistic. Not to mention that he apparently knew a lot about them. Makoto wondered briefly if he knew about his sister and parents, but decided to not ask. As Makoto was thinking this, he didn't see the black-and-white bear slowly waddle out from behind the podium until he spoke.

"My, my, my! Do we need to get some drain cleaner for that absolutely _filthy_ mouth of yours, badass? How did you even know I was here? I swear I was completely silent!" 

The lights instantly switched on, bathing the once dark gym with intense light. It took Makoto a second, and quite a bit of blinking, to see again.

" **I'd tell you to ask Miss Corpse, but you ordered her to kill Byakuya 'My ego is bigger than Russia' Togami. Were you scared, Junk heap? Did he know too much?** "

"I see you're trying to get me mad! And let me tell you, it's working! But enough about that, let me explain this motive to you all!"

With a dramatic sweeping of the arm, Monokuma began to explain.

"Ya see, I used to have this old friend o' mine. I think her name was... Kazami? I don't remember! Anyway, she's what you would call a person who was absolutely _obsessed_ with diseases! That's right, you guessed correctly, she was the Ultimate Epidemiologist! And, when I 'politely' asked her for a disease that can just bring out the most despairful traits of someone! She created these _lovely_ little syringes for me!"

Monokuma, out of what seemed like thin air, pulled out a completely black brief case. He opened it, and inside were thirteen syringes, all filled with a cloudy liquid. He closed it as suddenly as he opened it.

"For every day without a murder, I'll infect one of ya with this detestable little bug! I call it... The Despair Disease! It'll make someone who was previously so normal and full of hope and absolutely destroy them with despair! It doesn't help that your body temperature increases as well, so even if you were in your right mind, it'd slowly kill ya anyway!"

" ** _Nahahahahahahahaha!_ The bear is correct, or so I assume. I must ask, where's the traumatized woman who refuses to go near water? _Toko Fukawa?_ It's gettin' awfully lonely in this fucked up bomb shelter!** "

"Do you just say whatever comes to your mind!?" Hina shouted. "I swear, he's going to drive me crazy!"

" **Your brother was eaten by sharks, and then his remains were used as fertilizer.** "

" _Shut up!_ "

" _Ahem!_ " Monokuma interrupted. "To answer the badass's question, well, You'll have to see for yourself. Who said I only infected Jon and Kyoko with this _despairful_ little disease? Well, maybe it's more like a poison, but who cares, Despair Disease sounds better! And the Ultimate Epidemiologist made it for me!"

Monokuma did a bow.

"And with that, I'll leave you all to get acquainted with your now diseased friends! _Adieu!_ "

Monokuma marched towards the podium, and disappeared. Makoto had no words. There was nothing that could have prepared them for this situation. He needed to make sure Kyoko was ok, for one thing, and Jon could very well set one of them off. As he moved towards Sakura to check with her about Kyoko, Jon rambled on in the background.

" **I swear, that bear is more pompous and at least as smart as Toranosuke Ishimaru. It's _infuriating_ isn't it, Taka? I mean, the person behind the bear _must_ be a genius, right? And look at Chihiro! Poor guy's shaking worse than a rabbit scared by a wolf. Do you think I'm a wolf, Cheerio? Will I fucking disembowel you and make soup using your trashy cross-dressing organs? Nah, I'd probably just get a disease from tasting them. Who _knows_ what you've done to yourself?** "

"I must warn you, Jon Uragiri, that, disease or not, you must abide by our school rules!" Taka informed him. "I feel we must make one regulation clear: Do not goad your classmates into attacking!"

" **Oh _please_ , do you _honestly_ think you have power here, retard?** "

"Is she ok, Sakura?" Makoto asked carefully.

Sakura looked down at him, and gave a small smirk. "She's breathing, and her pulse is steady. She is unnaturally hot, though, so we should bring her something to cool her off. I only hope that she awakes soon."

Makoto could agree with that sentiment.

" _Alright!_ That's it! C'mere, ya little shit!"

* * *

**And I hurt myself, today...**

**These damaged fucks have no idea the amount of dirt I have on them. So easy to infuriate! Especially that fucking _idol_! She and Leon still have each other, even after losing their memories! Why can't I have that? Why isn't Leon going through what _I've_ had to go through!? **

**Fuck the Idol, fuck the baseball player!**

**And fuck the Biker!**

**These nimrods have no idea what my time with Mukuro has taught me. If any of them charge or try to attack me, then...**

**I've been looking for a way to try out those skills since I've come back...**

* * *

" **Awww, what's wrong, pompadour? Did I insult your fuckhead of a brother? You know, I'm surprised they didn't charge you with manslaughter. That was a fucking _brutal_ way to die. One that could have been avoided if you weren't such a weak-willed _faggot._** "

Makoto had temporarily tuned out the conversation going on around him to check on Kyoko, but then he heard Mondo shout, and then he heard Jon raise his voice. It still sounded strange, maybe even more so than when he was just talking normally. It was like... the closest thing Makoto could come to describing was 'What if a guy with a Russian accent were to speak Japanese?' It's the best way he could describe it. He's heard Russian people speak before, in a movie. He didn't remember it's name. But Jon sounded a lot like it. 

Right now, Mondo was charging in Jon's direction, his footfalls sounded like someone repeatedly dropping a heavy weight on the floor. Soon, Mondo and Jon were face to face.

"Say that to my fuckin' face, _bitch._ " Mondo growled.

After a brief pause, Jon smiled. The smile felt wrong on so many levels. His eyes lit up, and he chuckled.

" **Your brother died _like a bitch._** "

" _I'll fuckin' kill ya!_ "

* * *

**That's the spirit, pompadour! Attack me, so that I may rip your arm from it's socket, and then bash you over the head with it!**

**All I need to do is let him punch, dodge it, and then grab hold of his arm! And then-**

_(NO.)_

**What?**

_(I WON'T LET YOU.)_

**HA! Don't make me laugh! You have no pow-**

_(TAEKO YASUHIRO MORTUUS EST.)_

**MOTHER FUCKER SAY THAT ONE MORE GODDAMN TIME I SWEAR ON THE MOTHERFUCKING BIBLE I-**

_YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN!_

**_(WHAT THE HELL WHAT THE FUCK HOW CAN YOU)_ **

_JON URAGIRI._

_ALWAYS._

_KEEPS._

_HIS._

_PROMISES!_

* * *

It happened so fast Makoto barely had time to process what had happened. He tried his best to keep up, though.

All at once, as soon as Mondo drew back his hand to punch, the disturbing smile and evil glint in Jon's eyes completely melted away. His face went completely blank. 

He never resisted Mondo's attack. He simply took the punch, and fell to the floor, with a faint trickle of blood coming from his lips and nose. At once, he looked dead, but Makoto could tell that he wasn't because he was breathing. It didn't make it any less terrifying though.

"Aw hell! Is he alright!?"

"I think he deserved it."

"But he was sick! There's no way he'd say stuff like that normally!"

They were all too distracted to see Jon briefly try to get up, but Makoto saw all of it. He even heard Jon utter a few words before he went down for the last time.

" _Thank you._ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking so long, but I've had a rough couple of days. Shouldn't take too long for the next chapter, though.


	27. Flashback

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really sorry for being an asshole and not updating in awhile. It's completely my fault and I should do better.
> 
> I'm going to go on a vacation in a couple days, and the next chapter is barely 1/4 done. However, I can't wait that long and not write a little bit. So we have this. Hopefully this will keep you guys satisfied until I get back and finish the next chapter.
> 
> Sorry again.

_"Blutige Hölle! There's nothing left!"_

_She looked towards the ruined and wrecked cathedral of Hope's Peak and, despite his exaggeration, agreed with him. They were close to the academy, probably in one of the courtyards but she couldn't quite tell which because the area around her had changed so much so fast. She quickly surveyed the area for any threats before she realized that she didn't need to worry at all. If any of the lunatics that her sister unleashed were to see her, they wouldn't attack her. Her sister assured her._

_Then again..._

_"Mein Gott, look at the sky! Look at the sky!" the boy said, almost screamed. "It's the color of blood! What the fuck happened!? We were gone for a fucking day and all hell breaks loose! Wait..."_

_She no longer focused on the loud boy next to her. Instead, she listened and took in the sights of the carnage and destruction around her. Several other buildings on the campus were crumbling, while others remained eerily intact. Feminine screeching and masculine shouting could be heard everywhere around her. Several bloodstains adorned a wall several feet from them. And, yes, according to the loud and annoying boy next to her, the sky was stained a blood red color, with dark gray clouds circling sluggishly around the academy. Hope's Peak used to live up to it's name, or at least looked like it. But now it did not look unlike the battlefields she traveled and fought across in the Middle East, when she was still with FENRIR. Only this was much worse. Much worse. Her sister had brought down the academy, and soon, would bring down the world._

_She couldn't figure out if she was proud or disgusted._

_"Hey! I'm talking to you, ghost! We need to get them out of that fucking building!"_

_She was brought back to reality by the boy. The Linguist. Truthfully, she tried to not care for him, just like she tried to not care for everyone else in her class. She had succeeded for the most part, but..._

_"Tae- Celeste and the others are trapped in there! Are you going to do nothing, you mercenary motherfucker!? Just going to stand there and let the fire consume you!? Let's fucking do something!" the boy yelled at her. She finally turned to him. His green eyes almost seemed to reflect the scenes around them. Both fists were clenched, like he was about to punch her. She could take him on and beat him if he tried that, though. "Come on, we're going to save them." He walked towards the ruined building in front of them._

_"Suicide." She spoke finally, and the boy stopped in his tracks, and swiveled on his heels to face her._

_"What!?"_

_"It would be suicide to go up there." she clarified. "It would be better to wait it out. I'm sure the others are fine."_

_Yes, she was sure the others were fine. Her sister had specifically told her that they were not to be harmed. In her own words, she had 'greater plans' for them. However, this assurance seemed to have no effect at the Linguist, as he stared at her incredulously for a moment, and then laughed. The laugh was humorless._

_"It would be better to wait it out she says! I'm sure the others are fine she says!" he gave her a smile that barely hid the obvious flaming contempt he held for her that moment. "Are you serious, salope? You have to be joking!"_

_"I don't joke." she replied seriously. "If you want, you can go up there yourself."_

_In truth, if he did actually try to approach the building, she would knock him out. She wasn't lying when she said it was suicide. And, well, like her sister said 'greater plans'._

_"Maybe I will." he said defiantly. Then he stopped. His face became blank, but quickly a small grin formed on his face. The grin unnerved her._

_"You're right." He said, surprising her. "We should wait it out. Go with the flow, eh?"_

_He crossed his arms. She sighed in relief. Maybe he wasn't as mad as she though-_

_"You know, you can always stare at Makoto's charred, lifeless body. I'm sure he won't notice."_

_That cut deeper than she thought. How did he know...?_

_"I'm also reasonably sure that your sister will cook in there, and... well... I'm not sure if these Reserves are in the most stable mind and they might... I don't know... have their way with h-"_

_"That's enough." she grimaced. How could he of all people cut her so deep? This was unlike her. And since when did this boy become so vicious? Whatever. The Linguist had already planted the images in her mind and now they refused to leave. Her sister was brilliant, yes, but something could always go wrong, and what would be the meaning of bringing everything to the end if she were to be destroyed by the very thing she created?_

_And Makoto..._

_"Alright, I'll come with you." she said with a hint of bitterness. "However, we'll need firearms, weapons to get through to them."_

_The boy smiled. The malice had left it, and it was now replaced with the same grin he had whenever he talked with Leon or Makoto, or when he was having a heated discussion with Celeste. His gaze seemed to fall, until he was looking just behind her._

_"Nice to see you come around, in any case. About the firearms..." he said. He walked past her, and knelt. She watched him curiously._

_"Will this do?" he said. He held a sidearm in his hand. It looked ancient, but from her observations, it seemed to be in working order._

_"It's a start." she replied. "Now, let's go to my room. I have a stockpile there filled with weapons and ammunition. Is it loaded?"_

_The Linguist fiddled with the sidearm, and she had to stifle a giggle at seeing him fumble with something so simple. He finally was able to release the magazine._

_"Full clip." he said._

_"That's a magazine." she corrected him._


	28. Bipolar

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yeah. This chapter. Don't really like it all that much and it's a bit on the shorter side, but I probably couldn't do much to it without fucking it up in some way. That's how it felt, anyway.
> 
> Enjoy. And sorry for the long wait.

At first, she thought she was dead. One could hardly blame her, for when she opened her eyes, all she saw was blurry blackness. Her vision focused, revealing small imperfections. She realized she was staring at a ceiling, and she was laying in a bed. A thin bed, which felt a bit uncomfortable but wasn't entirely unpleasant. What was unpleasant, however, was the terrible feeling in her stomach, and her chest.

If she didn't feel like she would make it, she would have leaned over to the side, and retched onto the floor of whatever room she was in now. Unfortunately, she couldn't move at all. She could move her eyes - which, for some unexplainable reason that she couldn't remember, were starting to tear up - and she was able to make out someone sitting in a blue-cushioned rolling chair, reading a magazine of some sort. The tears in her eyes began to slip down her cheeks as she called out to the person.

"H- H-"

Or she would have, if she could have formed a coherent word. Every time she tried to speak, her tongue would betray her and would refuse to form words. Luckily, the person still heard her. She could guess now from the style of hair who it was, but the voice confirmed it.

"'Sup! You awake?"

It was Hiro. She didn't know why, but he was here. What magazine was he even reading? 

"Wh- wh- wha- happ-?" She tried to ask, but her tongue and lips still refused to cooperate. Luckily, Hiro wasn't dense enough to not get the gist of what she was saying.

"You kinda passed out," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I dunno what _actually_ happened, but you were passed out and Sakura was carrying you. Then Monokuma showed up-"

" _Tell her how I got punched in the face by the biker. I'm sure she'd_ love _to hear that. Wouldn't you, mystery girl?_ " interrupted a voice to her side.

Her eyes widened in surprise and fear. She knew that voice, how could she forget it? It did seem less hostile and malevolent than it did before, but she knew that meant nothing. Psychotic people were masters at deception, and this one was no different. It was the voice of Jon Uragiri, in all of it's deep glory. She needed to get away from him, _especially_ right now. He was trained by the Ultimate Soldier, and both her and Hiro were in danger.

" _Ok, Kyoko, I'm going to need you to calm the hell down. You look like you're about to leap out of your bed, and let me tell you, you are in_ no _condition to be doing acrobatics. You'd probably break your neck trying._ " Jon said with a hint of concern, which Kyoko thought was surprising. Since when did he start caring about other people? If he really did care, then why did he-

" _Because I thought I was protecting you guys._ " He answered the question that had been forming in her mind before she could even say anything. Was he psychic? That would present a whole heap of problems...

"Wait, you can actually understand what he's saying?" Hiro questioned, pointing towards Jon. Kyoko reluctantly turned to look where Hiro was pointing, and audibly gasped. The person in the bed looked like a corpse. She almost didn't recognize it as Jon at first, and she might have thought it was someone else if she hadn't looked in his eyes. Instead of the malicious, sadistic gleam she thought she would see, she saw old tears streaming down his face. The rest of his body was thinner than before, and his skin was very pale. He almost looked like a ghost.

" _I might as well be a ghost, mystery girl, I fucking feel like one, anyway._ " he said, and then chuckled. How could Hiro not understand him? Jon was speaking perfectly fine from what she could tell, despite his ghastly appearance. 

The urge to run left her as soon as she looked at the half-dead Jon. Despite how he looked normally, Jon was stronger than he looked. But now, with the way he was now, _she_ could probably beat him one on one, and with Hiro here, it would be hopeless for him to try and attack them now. 

She turned in her bed to face Hiro.

"Y-you c-c-can't unders-s-stand h-him?" Her speech was improving, thankfully. Hiro shook his head.

"He's been trying to talk to me for awhile now, but I can't understand a word he says. Between you and me, I think he's broken in the head, y'know?" Hiro said conspiratorially. "It almost sounds like he's speaking.. uh, Spanish, maybe? Hard to tell."

" _I'm speaking English you illiterate puffy-haired jackass._ " Jon said rudely, and then added: " _You're right about me being broken, though. Who wouldn't be? After the shit I've done. Hell, I taught every single one of you English once. You could all speak it fluently. Even you, Hiro._ "

"He said my name! But what did he say with it?" Hiro whispered, as if Kyoko had the answer. She did, but she wasn't sure she should tell him, lest she confuse him.

" _And now, you can't even speak a lick of it. Sad. I don't even know why I'm stuck speaking English right now. At least I can talk to you, Kyoko._ " he said. Kyoko turned towards him to see him staring straight into her eyes.

" _Her memory wipe got to you the worst. Mine was incomplete. And Makoto's was the most efficient. I wonder if he'll ever remember our times together..._ " Jon said, with a sad expression. How could this _monster_ feel sadness? Did he feel sadness when he did what he did? Did he, really? She could feel the tears start falling just from remembering that horrid experience. Her father, lying in a pool of his own blood-

" _I'll never blame any of you for hating me._ " Jon said suddenly, interrupting her thoughts. " _Hell,_ I'd _hate me after all the shit I've done._ " He reached a skinny arm up to the ceiling. " _I've failed you guys. I've failed Taeko, I've failed Mukuro, I've failed everyone. So, go ahead and hate me. The Lord knows I deserve it. Maybe it would have been better if I never moved here from America. Maybe then you guys wouldn't have to be in this death trap. But I promise you - I know my promises have probably zero merit to you, but still - I'll fix this. I'll free us, just like I was supposed to, before- before-_ "

For the first time in her life, Kyoko Kirigiri saw Jon Uragiri cry up close.

* * *

If Makoto knew everyone would be as split as they were on the issue of what to do with their two sick classmates, he would have never suggested that they talk about it. 

It was the afternoon of the day Monokuma introduced them to the 'Despair Sickness'. After Jon had passed out from Mondo's punch, they brought the two unconscious ones to the Nurse's Office. They then gathered in the cafeteria to discuss what to do with them. It was decided that someone should look after the two sick students in case they woke up, and Hiro volunteered. Now, they were discussing what they could do for the long term, and safe to say, they were having a hard time deciding what to do.

"I believe Jon needs to be quarantined!" Taka said. "It is clear to me that he is simply too dangerous to leave unguarded and left to his own devices!"

"Yeah," Mondo agreed. "You hear the shit he was sayin'? Got me so mad I up and punched him."

Makoto remembered how Mondo almost punched _him_ for trying to stop him from starting a fight with Byakuya, and knew it wasn't that hard to get Mondo angry enough to fight someone. And while he did agree that Jon was saying some... pretty disturbing things, did that justify cutting him off from everyone? No matter how crazy he seemed, Makoto just felt like there was more to what he was saying than just trying to get everyone riled up and mad, although that certainly had something to do with it.

"I do not believe quarantine is necessary," Sakura said. "Despite what he said, I do not believe that in his current condition he can hurt anyone. I saw what he looked like before we left, and he almost looked like a ghost."

"W-well, we can't just let him go around all over the place!" Chihiro disagreed. "I-I mean, think about it. How does he even know all that stuff about us?"

Chihiro gripped her skirt tightly, although from where Makoto was sitting, it looked almost like she was grabbing underneath. He turned away anyway, and asked Leon and Sayaka what they thought they should do.

"You know what?" Leon said. "I don't even know anymore, I just don't know. One minute, everything's fine, we're all getting along, Kyoko and Jon aren't at each other's throats, the next, Jon says shit about everyone, even my cousin. I want to like the guy, I really do. But Chi is talking a lot of sense. How did he figure out all that stuff about us?"

"Perhaps he googled it," Sayaka said without a hint of sarcasm. "It's not hard, we all are pretty famous after all. I know it wouldn't be hard to look up the names of my bandmates."

"He is sick, though," Sakura said. "and so is Kyoko. I think we all know they would never act like that."

"Even so!" Taka said. "We must protect ourselves and we must protect them! And the only surefire way we can do that is if we keep them from everyone else, in separate rooms! I have been thinking of a plan, you see. We put them in their rooms and take their keys. Three times a day, we change what needs to be changed, we feed them, and we make sure they're ok. Does anyone have a problem with this?"

"A human needs more than food and beds. On top of being sick, it sounds like they might go stir crazy, or worse. They are emotionally unstable as well as being sick. We saw this with Kyoko." Sakura said.

"I really don't know what to do..." Hina said dejectedly.

Makoto just watched as everyone bickered among themselves, feeling completely powerless. 

Foot steps from outside - loud, almost angry-sounding foot steps - shushed everyone.

* * *

_"And you know the what the worst part was, Kyoko?"_ Jon asked after his brief crying fit. _"I had no-fucking-clue! Zero! Zilch! One minute, we were on this holy quest to free everyone, the next, I was trying my best not to lose everything!"_

"Seriously, can you understand _anything_ he's saying?" Hiro asked. "He's still not making any sense to me. Hey, are you ok, man?" Hiro walked over to the crying Jon, and knelt. "Do you need anything?"

 _"Fuck you, pot-smoker."_ Jon spat. _"I'm not a fucking baby."_

"You think he's angry?" Hiro asked, looking curiously at Kyoko, in which she only nodded. She was still a little shocked by what Jon had just explained to her. It wasn't a complete picture, there were still parts left out, but she no longer saw him as a monster. A fool, a moron, a dullard, sure. But not a monster. Although she doubted she would ever forgive him, she could at least understand him. A little bit.

 _"Hey, Hiro, say 'apple'."_ Jon said. _"Go ahead, say 'apple'."_

Hiro gave a questioning glance to Kyoko, who quickly translated it for him.

"H-he wants you to s-say ' _apple_ '" she stuttered out. She could almost speak completely fine. Just a few stutters.

"Why?" Hiro queried.

_"Because I know you can't say it you scatterbrained fuckwit._ " Jon replied without any hesitation. 

"I guess I can try, uh..." Hiro paused. " _Aplee_ " 

_"Fucking retard."_ Jon face palmed. _"You used to be able to say it perfectly, all of you could, but now-"_

Kyoko saw Jon's pupils dilate, and sweat formed on his face. For some reason, she felt like something bad was about to happen if she either didn't run or if Jon didn't leave the room. 

_"I need to go. Now."_ he said quietly. He sat up in bed, and got up. He almost fell, but regained his balance by holding onto the wall. Hiro tried to stop him. 

"C'mon, man, you gotta-" he began, but one look at Jon shut him up. Jon pushed past him, opened the door, and slammed it with force you wouldn't believe possible for someone who almost looked dead. 

The whole things may have lasted ten seconds, but Kyoko still felt scared, even a while after he left. Hiro simply sat down and acted like nothing happened. 

* * *

_He tried his best to get out of the room before he surfaced again. And luckily he succeeded._

__

__

_He could tell when the other would surface again. He didn't know how he could tell, he just could. The other was despair incarnate, an amalgamation of all his hated, angry, and painful memories. He was the embodiment of all his happy, and hope-filled memories. The third one was a mental checklist, and a reminder. That was how it had been since that night after the second trial. Only they weren't able to take control, or do anything except shout in a mental echo chamber. That changed when the Despair Sickness entered his blood._

_'Sickness' wasn't the right word for it. 'Poison' was, though. He doubted the bear's piss poor excuse with the 'Ultimate Epidemiologist' was actually true. Whatever it was, it had returned his memories, and partially restored Kyoko's. Restoring Jon's memories was probably one of the worst things the mastermind could have done, he reflected, but then again, that was probably planned. Not only was the real Jon now suppressed, the voices in his head have completely taken over. Him being one of them, he tried his best to keep the other two from gaining control after he was knocked out._

_His defenses were failing, however, and he could feel the other, despair fueled one slowly gaining mental ground. Soon, he would be nothing more than a voice again, and the other would be in complete control. Maybe after some time, he could regain control, but it would take time. Time he felt he didn't have._

_He trudged through the hall, trying to find his room. If he was lucky, he might be able to lock himself in and hide the key until he could come back._

**TOO LATE!**

**He came back, yes, he was back! Damn that fuckboy for taking away control just as he was about to cause a scene! It would have been _glorious!_ Whatever, now that he was back, he could do something. Yes, he could do something _horrible_.**

**A small, titter escaped from his lips. He knew his body wasn't in the best condition, thanks to the serum the bear had placed in him. However, that doesn't mean he couldn't do anything with what he and Mukuro had smuggled away in the school. Yes, something even _she_ doesn't know about. The _big one._**

**He marched to the library. His body slow and sluggish, making it sound like he was dragging his feet and hitting his feet harder on the ground then he meant. This didn't matter to him, though. No, all that mattered was that he had to get to the library. Him and Mukuro met there several times, and it's also where he kept the _big ones._**

**He somehow managed to get up the stairs to the floor with the library. It wasn't easy, given his body's condition, but he managed. He burst into the library harder than he thought, but he still didn't care. If the other _imposters_ heard him, then he'll just blow them all to oblivion. **

**He stepped around the room, looking for that one bookshelf with the slight bent angle, and the table where ' _BYAKUYA-SAMA_ ' sat until he met his grisly death at the hands of Mukuro. **

**He found the bookshelf, and looked underneath. Yes! The button was still there. Of course it was, buttons don't move.**

**He pressed it.**

**There was a 'click'.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it. You thought Jon was fucked up before? You haven't seen anything yet.


	29. Flashback #2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry that this isn't a proper chapter, but I've been having a hard time writing for this lately and thought that a bit of a detour would be good. (That, and the fact I haven't updated in ONE FUCKING MONTH! You can hit me later)

_Leon, bear with me for a moment, but look at the entrance to the gym for a moment, please?" the Linguist asked._

_"Umm... what?" Leon asked, confused._

_"No, I'm serious, look at the entrance to the gym. I'm about to blow your mind. I'll probably have to call Sayaka in here after I tell you this."_

_This is going to be so fucking hilarious..., the Linguist thought, suppressing a giggle as Leon did as he was told._

_"Now, above us is the pool, right?" Not waiting for confirmation from the confused baseball player, Jon continued. "Now, follow me on this, how high is the gym?"_

_Leon put a hand to his chin, not to subtlety referencing Kyoko, although Jon could not figure out why he would do that. As far as he could tell, they'd barely even talked to each other. But, Kyoko also barely talked to any of her classmates besides Makoto, and that included her own Dieu damné father. After several moments, Leon finally replied._

_"I dunno, pretty high?" he said._

_"You and Sayaka's children will do well in school. Especially when it comes to mathematics. I think we have a mathematical genius in the making, Christ." Jon said, exaggerating the situation just to see Leon squirm. It succeeded._

_"Aw, c'mon, man! Why you gotta say stuff like that? We haven't even done it ye-" Realizing what he was about to finish, Leon shut his mouth with an almost audible 'clamp'. It was too late, though. Jon had that grin on his face that showed he was about to let loose a world of teasing._

_"Oh, is that s-" Before he could even finish his sentence, an accented, feminine voice called out to them._

_"What are you two doing?" it said._

_At this, Jon's mouth also clamped shut, and he looked in the direction the voice came from. And, in a rare moment of awkwardness, actually stuttered._

_"A-ah, w-well, you see, Ta- Celeste, I was just explaining to Leon a paradox I discovered."_

_"Oh? A paradox you say? Please, do tell." she said, smiling._

_The grin Jon had when Leon slipped up now appeared on Leon himself. Grinning, Leon bumped Jon's shoulder._

_"What's wrong, Mister Uragiri? Having problems talking to one of your own friends? What happened?" he said, still smiling._

_Jon resisted the urge to glare at Leon. He knew it would have the desired effect - most people would describe his stare piercing at the best of times - but he successfully resisted for now, reasoning that he deserved it a bit, given what he was about to do before Celeste came in. Besides, Leon had already endured enough teasing and sarcasm for one day, and hopefully if Jon didn't snap or glare back, he'd stop. With that in mind, he briefly explained to Tae- Celeste what he had found out. That being, the mind-boggling paradox he'd discovered in their gilded cage._

_"Well, you see the gym, right? And how tall it is?"_

_"Not as tall as something else is when you stare at-" Leon began, but was cut off by Jon, leaning slightly and whispering into his ear._

_"If you continue talking, Kuwata, I will personally make sure that not only will your children not be able to become math geniuses, but you wont have any children at all."_

_With a shudder and sudden paling of Leon's skin, Jon continued._

_"The gym is pretty tall, definitely above the second floor, wouldn't you say?" Jon said._

_Celeste nodded. "Yes, it is indeed one of the biggest rooms in this building. Where are you going with this?"_

_To anyone besides Jon, her speech would seem even, and her face still showed a smile. But to Jon, he could tell she was losing interest quickly, and was discreetly telling him to stop prattling about and get to the point before she could come up with a pseudo-polite way of ending the conversation and finding something more interesting to do. Slightly smirking, Jon knew what he was about to say would at the very least interest her, and would probably melt Leon's brain._

_"Well, the pool is just above the gym, if you judge the distance between the stairs. Only, we just established that the Gym easily goes up to the second floor. So... how are they in the same place?"_

_At this, Celeste's smile melted into a neutral expression. Leon, on the other hand, looked utterly confused._

_"Wait... how... what, Lemme..." Going inside the gym for a moment, and then coming out again, Leon almost appeared distressed._

_"What the hell...? How in the...? J-Jon! You have something to explain that, right?" Leon said pleadingly. "I mean, you're right, but... it can't be that way, right? There's no way!"_

_Jon had to bite his lip pretty hard to keep from laughing really, really hard._

_"If I had an explanation, I wouldn't have told you guys, right, Celeste?" he said, looking in her direction with a completely blank face._

_"This is indeed quite the conundrum." she said, her smile back on her face. "Perhaps I should look into this myself. Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Jon."_

_Again, as she said that, Jon stuttered again._

_"U-Uh, yeah! S-sure, anytime!" he laughed awkwardly as she silently walked away._

_"Dude, the hell's wrong with you, seriously?" Leon asked bluntly._

_"Weren't you having a crisis a moment ago?" Jon retorted._

_"I still can't... I mean it's just- Ok, enough about that. I'm ignoring that. It hurts." Leon said, messaging his temples._

_"Don't worry, it happens to the best of us. Maybe your children will surpass you."_

_"Seriously, what is it with you and children today? We've been in here a week and you've said it four times, two of those times today."_

_"Actually, I said it three times." Jon said, looking Leon in the eye. Leon visibly gulped._

_"Y-yeah, whatever. But seriously, back to what I was saying, what is it with you and her? It's almost like she seeks you out and vice versa."_

_"Well, besides the fact that you said vice versa wrong - it's pronounced 'we-kay wer-sa, by the way, at least the appropriate Latin pronunciation would be - it's none of your god damned business." Jon said._

_"I didn't ask for a Latin lesson, I was asking why you two seem closer than before. I mean, she even called you her-"_

_"This conversation is done, Leon. You ruined it and you soiled it._ Ciao. _"_

_"Hey, c'mon, you make fun of me Sayaka all the time! Let me have some fun too, you selfish bastard!"_

_Jon went down the hall, with Leon whining at him and following him._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so this almost has no meaning except for fun, to point out a flaw in the design, and to showcase the relationships of some of the characters before the 'incident'.
> 
> I just wanted to write something for this after so long, but It would take too long to get the next chapter that moves the story along ready for awhile still. This is entirely my fault and I apologize. This is also a way of letting you know that I haven't abandoned this yet. The updates will probably just come a lot slower than they used to.
> 
> Besides that, I hope you enjoyed!


	30. Was Fun While it Lasted

**Hi all.**

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**You're probably wondering why this hasn't been updated in around... 4? 5 Months? Well, let me be blunt here...**

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**I've moved on.**

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**This Fanfiction was a great learning experience for me. Especially in the planning department. I've learned so much about writing since I posted the first chapter in December of last year, and I'll never forget how much I enjoyed writing certain parts of it, mostly the beginning and ending chapters, though. Those were the most fun.**

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****But, let's be real here. This story was a bit of a mess. The way I had it planned, things that happened... I was certain that, at the time, that they'd be good ideas, but now that I look back, I made some really dumb decisions, mostly in the beginning and the end, ironically enough. I mean, you know that roster? Split-second decision to up the word count. You know those voices Jon kept hearing in his head and his relationship with Celestia? Completely made it up as I wrote it down, and if there's one thing that every writer knows, it's to _not_ make up things as you go along. That's just waiting for you to write yourself into a dead end, which this story did.** **

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**I basically wrote myself into a corner because of all my split-second decisions I was making. Just in case you want to know. The Despair Disease was one of the only set-in-stone decision I had made from the beginning, and I couldn't even do it well because of what I'd done earlier.**

**Pretty much the only part I like about this story now is Jon himself. He is singularly the most complex OC I have ever created. He actually isn't a bad guy, I just couldn't write up to the part where he stopped being such an asshole. Sorry about that.**

**Just wanted to put this up for all five of you who still know about this story. It probably will never be updated again. I wanted to let you know so you wouldn't have to wait forever thinking an update my come out soon. Sadly, it won't**.

**I'm officially discontinuing this story. But I won't be deleting it this time. It'll still be here, and you can read it all you want. Just don't expect it to be updated ever again.**

**I'm sorry if I've disappointed you. But this is the end of the road for this story.**

**Have a nice day.**


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